


The Other Happy Ending

by M_E_Scribbles



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Moving On, Witty Banter, exes to friends, surprising relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:16:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_E_Scribbles/pseuds/M_E_Scribbles
Summary: Once upon a time, Clarke Griffin thought she’d spend her life loving Lexa Woods. Then real life happens and they decide to end things before they go bad and they end up hating each other.A couple years later, Clarke finds herself falling for the most unexpected person. Anya Woods, also known as Lexa’s cousin, is the last woman she ever expected to be friend with, let alone anything more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A very adorable woman](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=A+very+adorable+woman).



It had been a year since Lexa had seen Clarke. A whole year. It’d been two since they’d broken up. With Lexa moving across the country for school and Clarke staying back in Arkadia…

They had tried to make it work. For their first year at university, they’d had scheduled video chatting dates and surprise trips, long weekends and endless texting marathons. Their second year though, they had a very honest discussion.

It was never that they didn’t love each other. They did. They just didn’t think they could handle the increasing pressures of school and keep their relationship intact. So they parted ways amicably, before anything could go downhill. They agreed to give each other time, not speaking again until Lexa came home for the holidays. She was hurrying to Clarke’s house, excited to see her and talk to her again, when she overheard Finn Collins bragging about his conquest of Clarke Griffin.

Lexa’s confrontation of Clarke was their biggest argument ever. She yelled and cried and accused. Clarke dished it all right back. Words were thrown around Clarke’s bedroom like grenades, neither of them caring about the damage they were causing. It wasn’t until Lexa tossed Finn’s words into the mix that Clarke understood. He’d been spreading rumors ever since he found out about their breakup. He was trying to scare off other guys. The only problem with his plan was Clarke’s complete lack of interest in him.

A few painfully honest conversations later, the girls parted ways after the holidays. They’d chat off and on, call each other drunk, and occasionally leave tear-filled messages.

Somehow, through all of that, they slowly made their way back into the realm of friendship. Lexa could never be sure how it happened. She and Clarke had been best friends from kindergarten until the summer after their sophomore year. That was when Lexa finally put aside the hurt over Costia, her first girlfriend, and realized she had feelings for Clarke. One hesitant confession and a 3-hour make-out session later, Lexa was calling Clarke her girlfriend.

So when Lexa ran into Costia over the holidays a year after she and Clarke had ended, Clarke was her first call. She gushed. She reminisced. She babbled.  
And then Clarke said, “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Do what?” Lexa asked.

“I can’t listen to you talk about her, not like that,” Clarke sniffled. The rustling on the other end of the line told Lexa she was messing with her hair. Another sniffle, then, “I know it isn’t fair for me to say that. I’m sorry… Just… I think I need more time before I can do this. Give me that, Lex?”

She was already shaking her head,

“Clarke, no. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I can’t listen to you say all those things about her. She’s does sound great but… Now I feel like maybe I was a band-aid and Costia is the cure,” Clarke tried to explain all the emotions she knew she wasn’t allowed to feel. “Just be happy. Okay, Lex? Be happy and live your life.”

And then she was gone. No matter how many times Lexa had called or texted, Clarke never responded. Not for months. Then, one day, she answered the phone. She promised she was okay, that she just wanted Lexa to live her life and be happy. She made Lexa promise too before she ended the call.

It was holiday time when Clarke finally reached out again. She wanted to talk, to clear the air. She knew Lexa was in town and that she’d brought Costia with her.  
They agreed to meet in their favorite café.

To Lexa’s surprise, Clarke beat her there. Clarke was never early. Ever. To anything.

“Clarke,” Lexa smiled shyly as she approached their usual table in the back.

“Lex!” She returned the smile and stood.

The hug was quick and somehow less awkward than Lexa was anticipating. Clarke sank back into her seat and waited for Lexa to join her.

“How have you been?” Clarke asked, toying with the mug in front of her.

“I’ve been good,” Lexa replied. At Clarke’s arched brow, she shrugged, “I have been. School is good, the family is good, my dorm is good. Everything is good.”

Clarke waited when she paused. When she didn’t continued, Clarke prodded,

“And Costia?”

“I don’t know if we should talk about her,” Lexa whispered, her eyes falling to her own mug of steaming coffee.

“No, I really want to know,” Clarke replied quickly. “I know us not talking is my fault. I know you probably think I’m jealous of you and Costia.”

That caught Lexa’s attention, “You’re saying you’re not?”

“Maybe at first I was, but I think that’s normal. I know we both thought you and I would get back together someday and have our happily-ever-after and then Costia popped up and you were so… smitten,” Clarke shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. “I’m happy if you’re happy, Lex.”

The nickname had her smiling, “No one calls me that but you.”

“Good,” Clarke smiled. She took another sip and winked, “keep it that way.”

And as easy as that, somehow, they were nearly back to being Clarke and Lexa, lifelong best friends. They truly took their time and caught up on all they’d missed. They teased and they joked.

When the waitress refused to bring them more coffee, assuring them 3 cups were enough for now, and instead brought them water, Lexa sobered a bit.

“So…” She said slowly. “Is this why you called me? Just to catch up?”

Clarke sighed. Lexa knew that sigh. It meant Clarke wasn’t sure how to say what she wanted to say.

“Just tell me so I can go back to teasing you about your pink hair,” Lexa leaned forward and took Clarke’s hand.

“Okay. Yeah. Just tell you,” Clarke nodded. She took a deep breath and then sighed, “You know I love you right?”

Lexa stiffened. She pulled her hand away like Clarke had burned her.

“No! Not…” Clarke was shaking her head and holding her hands up in front of her. “I don’t mean it like that. I’m not in love with you. I just love you. Even if we don’t talk for another year, I’ll love you. You’re my best friend. You’re irreplaceable.”

“Clarke,” Lexa pinched the bridge of her nose and fought off the burn of tears she felt building. “You can’t do this.”

“I’m not!”

Lexa started to stand. Clarke managed to grab her hands and keep her seated. She tried to shake Clarke off, but she couldn’t loosen her grip. “This isn’t fair. I know we ended things when we both still had feelings but we both said we could move on. I’m so happy with Costia. I love her.”

“I know, Lex! I know! And I’m so happy for you!” Clarke rushed to reassure her. She shook her head and spoke quickly, “I don’t mean that I’m in love with you. I was. I used to be. When you were mine, I loved you more than I’ve ever loved anybody. I’m not now. I think, in another universe somewhere, you and I are together and happy. You’re… I don’t know, a lawyer or a cop and I was dumb enough to follow Mom’s advice and go to med school. We’re happy and in love there. Maybe we’ve got a dog with a goofy name and a couple of kids running around with your hair and my eyes, or my hair and your eyes. But here? We’re best friends and, as much as I used to think it’d kill me to say this, that is what we’re meant to be here.”

“Clarke,” Lexa was beginning to tear up. She could almost see that other place, that alternate universe, and she could see how happy she and Clarke were.

“What I’m saying is, I love you as my best friend. I’m so so happy you’ve found a great love with Costia. I always liked her even when I was insanely jealous of her. She’s what this you needs, Lex. She’s smart and kind and sassy enough to keep you on your toes.” Clarke’s thumb rubbed small circles on the backs of Lexa’s hands. “I need you to know that I love you because, what I want to tell you, what I need to tell you… I don’t want it to hurt.”

Taking a moment, Lexa studied her. She did look happy. And she had been nice and friendly toward Costia before. “I love you too, Clarke.”

“In the best friend sort of way?” Clarke teased.

Lexa rolled her eyes, “Never mind. I take it back.”

“Mean!” Clarke gasped, moving one of her hands to clutch at her chest, right over her heart.

“Tell me?” Lexa requested.

That had the smile dropping right off Clarke’s face. She dropped both hands into her lap and stared at the table. It took Lexa waving a hand in front of her face and repeatedly saying her name before she looked up.

“What is it?” Lexa asked, concern permeating her voice.

“I want to ask Anya out.”

Of all the things Lexa had thought she might hear, that wasn’t even in the top 500. She knew she’d heard correctly. She knew Clarke, her best friend and ex-girlfriend, had just admitted to wanting to ask Anya out. But…

“What?”

“I know! I know!” Clarke nodded and dropped her eyes again. “I never saw it coming. Me and Anya? Who’d guess that?”

Lexa could only blink in response at first. Then she cleared her throat, “Like… Anya? My cousin? That Anya?”

“Raven is dating Luna,” Clarke explained.

Lexa nodded. She knew her other cousin was dating their friend. “They’ve been together for over a year. I spend a lot of time with the three of them.”

“I know,” Lexa whispered.

Lifting a hand, Clarke smoothed it over her hair, then rubbed the back of her neck as she continued, “I know its weird. And I want you to know I wasn’t, like, harboring feelings for her while we were together. It’s very new and exciting and… I just like her.”

“You and Anya?”

“Yes. Me and Anya.”

Lexa tried to wrap her brain around it. Tried to understand. “How?”

“Well,” Clarke drew the word out. She cleared her throat and took a sip of her water. She met Lexa’s eyes, saw the arched brow, and sighed. “Okay. So I dropped the premed major, like you always thought I should. I’m psych and criminal justice now. I’ve already completed the academy.”

“You’re going to be a cop?” Lexa asked, impressed with Clarke’s decision to follow her actual dreams.

Smiling broadly, Clarke nodded, “I am! Hopefully I’ll work my way to the FBI and become a profiler.”

“That’s so amazing!” Lexa gushed.

“Thank you!” Clarke replied, blushing slightly. She leaned forward, placing her crossed arms on the table in front of her. “Mom was furious, of course. She kicked me out and threatened to stop paying for college. Which isn’t a huge deal because I could just use my trust from Dad’s estate.”

Lexa rolled her eyes, “Of course she did.”

“I moved in with Raven, got a job as a dispatcher at the station,” Clarke continued. She smiled at the pride she saw glowing in Lexa’s eyes. “Mom came around eventually. I think Kane had something to do with that. But those few months I was at Raven’s place, I spent a lot of time with Anya. I never really realized how much we have in common. Or how the stuff we don’t have in common can be fun to explore together.”

“Well, she is a cop too,” Lexa replied with a shrug.

“She quit the force,” Clarke replied, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips. “She was going to law school. She never said a word to any of us. She just graduated a couple of months ago. She’s going to work with your dad now.”

Lexa’s eyes grew round, “And she didn’t say a word to me? That jerk!”

“I think I’m the only one who knew,” Clarke’s smile grew just a fraction. “I found out by accident. We had plans with Raven and Luna for lunch one day and I went to pick her up. I walked into her place to find her hunched over a textbook as think as my arm. She was muttering in Trigedasleng and… she was wearing glasses.”

“You are so weak for glasses,” Lexa laughed.

Clarke shrugged, “I’m weak for strong and sexy women in glasses.”

That had Lexa blushing. She remembered exactly how much Clarke liked her in glasses. Shaking her head to clear those memories she had no right to revisit, she had to ask, “what happened?”

“I cancelled our plans with Raven and Luna and I helped her study for her exam,” Clarke replied. Then her chest puffed up with pride, “She aced that test! I helped her study for all her tests after that. She says I’m her good luck charm.”

“She likes you,” Lexa’s smile was soft.

Clarke swallowed thickly. She could feel tears burning, “I tried to fight those feelings, Lex. I really did. But… Anya is amazing once you cut through her attitude. She’s just so… she’s… I don’t know. I don’t think I have the words to explain her.”

“Why are you crying?” Lexa asked gently, reaching across the table so she was holding Clarke’s hand again.

“She kissed me. A month ago,” Clarke replied, her voice wobbling ever so slightly. “Actually 3 weeks, 2 days, and about 12 hours ago.”

It made all made sense to Lexa. Anya, her other best friend, her cousin, would definitely see that kiss as a betrayal of Lexa. No wonder Anya had been so distant lately.

“Who’s a better kisser?” Lexa tried to joke.

It didn’t work.

“She won’t talk to me. I’ve tried. She’s one of my best friends too and I just…” Clarke sniffled and sighed. “I don’t know what to do.”

Squeezing her hand, Lexa nodded. This was most definitely not what she’d thought they’d be discussing when she agreed to meet up with her ex. How to get her ex with her cousin was foreign territory. “Clarke, you know it’s probably just because she feels guilty.”

“I know.”

“Maybe she’s just waiting until she has a chance to talk to me. Maybe she wants to see if I’m okay with this,” Lexa continued.

“Are you?”

Lexa paused for a moment. She considered her feelings. She loved Clarke but she was in love with Costia. She always had Anya’s back. And, if she were being completely honest, if she really thought about it, Clarke and Anya made sense. Clarke was so quick to action, Anya was a tactician. Anya was always serious, even if she did have a secret sense of humor, and Clarke was one of those people who just pulled people out of their shells.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. So she nodded, “I am.”

“Really?”

She smiled and nodded again, “I mean, it’ll take some getting used to but I’m fine. As long as I don’t have to lose you again, as my friend, I’ll be okay.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Clarke promised. She used her free hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.

“Good,” Lexa winked at her.

They flagged down the waitress, hoping she’d give in and bring them more coffee. By the time they were halfway through those mugs, they were laughing again.

“I can’t wait to tell you all kinds of embarrassing stories about Anya!” Lexa crowed. “Payback is a bitch!”

“She has to say yes to the date first, Lex.”

“You think there’s a chance she won’t?”

Clarke could only shrug, “I don’t know. Before a few weeks ago, before the kiss, I’d have said she’d say yes for sure. Now? I have no idea.”

“I think we Woods women have a weak spot for you, Griffin,” Lexa declared.

Blushing, Clarke ducked her head. She took a sip of her coffee and asked, “Want to tell me when you’re planning on proposing to Costia?”

“What? I’m not…” Lexa stammered and shook her head. Then her shoulders drooped. “How did you know?”

“You keep reaching back and checking your coat pocket. It definitely looks like there is a little box in there,” Clarke replied with a grin.

“Tomorrow,” Lexa answered. “I’m taking her to the ice rink, which Dad was kind enough to rent out for us.”

Clarke laughed, “Taking her back to where you had your first date! That’s adorable!”

Lexa started to explain the rest of her plan. She was happy to have randomly fallen back into her friendship with Clarke so easily again. Then her phone beeped, startlingly them both.

“2 missed calls and 13 texts,” Lexa groaned.

“Costia missing you?”

Shaking her head at the attempt at teasing, Lexa checked, “Costia only called once and texted twice. She wanted to tell me she’d going out with Luna for lunch and to be careful on the way home. It’s supposed to snow.”

“When?”

“Now,” Lexa replied.

For the first time since their arrival, the women look out the front window of the café. The snow was coming down too thick to see beyond the sidewalk. They both sighed.

“The other texts are from Anya,” Lexa added softly when Clarke turned back to her.

“Yeah?” Clarke perked up.

Lexa read through them quickly. She snorted at a few of them and shook her head at others, “She only lives a few blocks from here right?”

Clarke turned back to the snow, “Yes.”

“Come on,” Lexa said as she stood. She pulled on her coat and scarf, tucking her hat in a pocket. She waited until Clarke stood to add, “I’ll drop you off there before heading to my Dad’s house.”

Hesitating for a moment, Clarke watched her moving. Then she shook her head, “What?”

“Better you ask her soon,” Lexa replied, holding Clarke’s coat up for her to slip into. “She gets grumpy when it snows.”

“Lex?”

Turning her around so she could see her eyes, Lexa smirked, “I think the two of you have been through enough angst and waiting because of me. I love you both and if being together makes you both happy? I say go for it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I think you’ve wasted enough time worrying about me and my feelings,” Lexa stated firmly. “You and Anya both. So I’ll tell you what I’m going to tell her. Be happy and live your life. Neither of you answer to me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter on how Anya and Clarke came to be. 
> 
> Enjoy!!

**_9 Months Ago…_ **

The heat coming off the fire was just barely keeping Clarke warm. She’d tried to tell her friends March was too early for a bonfire on the beach. They’d all laughed and called her ‘princess’ and dragged her along anyway. While they were all running around, she sat alone by the fire, watching the flames dance. The swirls of oranges, yellows, and whites kept her mind from wandering to places she really didn’t want it to go.

It only worked for so long.

Soon, as always, Lexa came creeping back in.

Clarke hadn’t talked to her in nearly 3 months. She knew it was a little petty. They’d parted ways as friends, ending what was meant to their epic romance before it really even felt like it started. Although… four years together was nothing to look down upon. Everything had been fine, they’d handled it like adults.

Then Lexa ran into Costia, her first love. That phone call, the one Lexa made to Clarke, gushing about Costia had been so much more painful than Clarke had anticipated. She ended it as quickly as she could with a muttered apology and a barely concealed sob. And when Lexa pushed the issue? Clarke asked for time.

“So this is really how you’re going to let this play out?”

Biting back a sigh, Clarke lifted her eyes from the flames to meet Anya’s, “No idea what you’re talking about.”

“I know you’re not talking to Lexa,” Anya crouched in front of her, blocking the light and the heat from the fire.

Much like her younger cousin, Anya was hard to read. Her face hardly ever gave anything away. No, it was all hidden in the depths of her eyes. And that was somewhere Clarke had never wanted to go.

“I just can’t listen to her talk about Costia,” Clarke said, her voice nearly lost in the crackling of the flames.

“She doesn’t just want to talk about Costia,” Anya replied. She took a long sip of her beer, her eyes never leaving Clarke’s face. She smacked her lips and nodded, “You two were friends first. For years.”

Clarke sighed. She knew that. More than anyone, she knew about her friendship with Lexa. And how much more they were. “And then we decided to play adults and broke up. And she ran into Costia and I can’t help but feel like I was some kind of placeholder!”

“You know that isn’t what you were.”

“Of course I do!” Clarke snapped. “Lexa loved me. Still loves me. I know that but… even after we ended I never really thought we could move on. I thought we’d float back together or something.”  
Anya took a moment to process those words. Then she tilted her head, looking like an adorably confused puppy, “do you still love her?”

“I will always love her.”

“So you want her back?”

Clarke let out a wet laugh, “no.”

A slight pout crept onto Anya’s face, “I’m confused.”

“The problem isn’t that I’m sad because she’d moved on and left me behind,” Clarke started to explain. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “The problem is that it doesn’t hurt.”

Anya hadn’t expected that. When she’d decided to approach Clarke, she’d been sure she was about to hear how much Clarke still wanted and loved Lexa. Instead, the younger woman threw a curveball that had left Anya guessing.

“Explain?”

Another laugh, this one very self-deprecating, left Clarke, “I mean, Lex and I were head over heels, let's talk about our future together, in love. She and I made sense. Everyone saw that. So now, when she’s so happy with someone who isn’t me, you’d think I’d be jealous. Or that I’d be mad. That I’d want her back… just… You’d think I’d feel something. But no. All I am is happy for her.”

“You’re happy for your ex-girlfriend getting back together with her ex?”

“I’m happy for my best friend, who has found a real love with a very kind woman,” Clarke corrected quietly. “I’m upset because if I’m this happy for Lexa, does that mean I never loved her the way I thought I did?”

Anya’s blinking reminded Clarke of Lexa. It was this look of confusion and affection that only a Woods woman could pull off. It was a look Clarke would get whenever she’d said something totally unexpected.

“Clarke,” Anya finally said, smiling just a bit, “I don’t think I realized until just now exactly how good of a person you really are.”

****

**_8 months ago…_ **

“Clarke?” Raven opened the door to reveal her friend. The one who looked like she’d been crying.

Instead of responding, Clarke threw herself at Raven. She held on tight for a moment, then leaned back to start laughing.

“Are you losing your mind? Is that what this is?” Raven asked as Clarke pulled her in for another tight hug.

After a few minutes, Clarke stepped back. She put her hands on Raven’s shoulders and she smiled. It was quite possibly the biggest smile Raven had ever seen on her.

“What’s all this?” Anya asked, approaching them from behind Clarke.

“Anya!” Clarke yelled, Her blue eyes growing round as soon as she heard Anya’s voice. She turned and threw herself into her arms, ignoring the six-packs of beer.

Catching her was easy, finding a way to hold her while clutching two six-packs and she was jumping was not. Anya laughed before moving her arms up to Clarke’s shoulders and using the insides of her wrists to nudge her back.

“Explain?” She quirked a brow, a small smirk playing on her lips.

“I did it!” Clarke shouted, clapping her hands rapidly.

Raven stepped forward and glanced at the suitcase next to her door, “Clarke? Why is there a huge suitcase here?”

“I’m moving in with you for a bit,” Clarke replied, still bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Clarke’s moving in?” Luna popped up behind Anya, carrying their dinner for movie night.

Eyes widening, Clarke ducked under Anya’s arm, “Pizza!”

“Clarke!” Raven shouted. “You get no food or beer until you tell me the hell is happening!”

“Can I eat while I tell you?” Clarke counter-offered before sniffing loudly at the pizza.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Raven nodded and pointed into the apartment, “Couch. Now.”

Turning to grab her suitcase, Clarke was stopped by Anya. She smiled and jerked her head toward the door, “I’ll get this. You go and get comfy for story time.”

“Thanks!” Clarke chirped. She stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to her cheek before darting inside with one of the pizzas.

Anya watched her go, a smile on her lips. She handed one of the six packs to Luna and grabbed the handle of the suitcase. She just barely caught a glimpse of Luna’s smirk.

“Don’t.”

“I’m telling you, Lexa would be fine,” Luna said softly, shrugging as she spoke.

Huffing a breath, Anya turned away, “Nothing here for Lexa to be fine with.”

“If you say so,” Luna shrugged again. She stepped around Anya, whispering, “But only a fool would miss the way you’re drawn to her. Like the waves are drawn to the moon. And Clarke Griffin… she’s never been a fool.”

“Shut up,” Anya snapped, giving her cousin a little shove before following her inside.

A few minutes later, they were all in the living room. Anya had placed Clarke’s suitcase in the spare bedroom while the others prepped for movie night. Raven and Luna would share one of the chairs, like they always did. Clarke and Anya would sit on opposite ends of the couch, leaving the middle cushion open for their feet to be propped up on eventually.  
The questions started as soon as Anya sat down with a slice and a beer.

“You were crying,” Raven said, eyes drilling into Clarke’s.

“I was earlier, The tears you saw were just leftover,” Clarke replied. She took a bite of her pizza, sort of dancing while she chewed. She stopped when she realized the others were watching her.

Anya set down her beer and plate. She turned to face Clarke, shifting to sit closer to her as she stated, “Explain.”

“I finally switched majors!” Clarke said. Her smile grew wide and bright. She was thrilled to say the words out loud. “I finally did it!”

Her friends gasped. Then they were shouting their congratulations. They dove to tackle her in a group hug.

The switch had been a long time coming. She’d started university as a pre-med major and hated every moment of it. As a child and throughout her teen years, Clarke had wanted to become a police officer. She want to help people in the now, not save them in the after.

When everyone settled back into their usual spots, well… mostly anyway because Clarke and Anya were sitting right next to each other. Anya was in her usual seat but during the hugs and all that chaos, Clarke had moved into the center seat. Anya tried to ignore that while Clarke continued her story.

“I switched to psych and criminal justice. I’m not too far behind actually so I signed up for summer classes to catch up. I’ll still graduate on time!” Clarke said, her eyes shining with excitement. She didn’t notice Anya’s arm around her shoulders or her own hand on Anya’s knee. She met Raven’s eye when she added, “I told Mom today. She asked why I had signed up for summer classes after the tuition bill came.”

“Uh oh,” Raven grimaced. Abby Griffin wasn’t a bad mother but she’d always had goals for Clarke. She’d always been adamant about Clarke following her into medicine. “She took it well?”

Snorting, Clarke shook her head, “She kicked me out.”

“What?” Luna’s jaw dropped.

“Yeah. Totally kicked me out. Told me to pack a bag and go. Said she couldn’t stand the sight of me,” Clarke said. She shrugged and smiled. “Worth it.”

Anya blinked at that. A lot. She knew Abby could be a bit harsh but to kick Clarke out over switching majors? She had to fight to keep from clenching her jaw as anger built.

“What about school?” Raven asked.

“Or rent?” Luna added.

Clarke shrugged, “I told Mom if she didn’t want to pay for school I’d just use the money from Dad’s estate. Or call Pops. He’ll help me if I ask. And as for rent, I guess I’ll have to get a job.”

“There’s a dispatcher job opening at the station,” Anya spoke up without thinking. When 3 heads swiveled to look at her, she blushed, “She wants to be a cop. It’s be an in for her. And Indra knows the head of dispatch. She’ll make a call if I ask her to.”

“You’d help me?” Clarke whispered, smiling brightly again.

Anya nodded, “Of course.”

Across the room, Luna sighed. She was surrounded by oblivious people. When Anya looked at her, she shrugged and mouthed, “she’d be fine!”

****

**_5 months ago..._ **

“Ahn? Are you ready?” Clarke called out as she unlocked the door to Anya’s apartment.

No answer came. Clarke closed the door behind her, making sure to make plenty of noise because she’d accidently surprised Anya before and that hadn’t been a good night. She made her way toward the living room, taking her time.

As always, she looked around, taking in the aura and the decorations that made up Anya’s home. Anya had been raised to embrace and celebrate her Tibetan heritage, various works of art and several books scattered around showed that love. Clarke’s favorite part of the entire apartment was the seemingly uncharacteristic wall of photos just inside the living room. Pictures of Anya with Luna, Raven, and Clarke, or Lexa and Costia, and various combinations of people met Clarke’s eye.

Her personal favorite was one from when she and Lexa had been together. The group had gone camping. Lexa, Clarke, Raven, Luna, Anya, Lincoln, Octavia, and Bellamy had had a blast in the mountains for a week. In the picture, Clarke was ducking behind Anya while a soaking wet Lexa was trying to get around a laughing Luna. Moments after the picture had been taken, Anya had turned and picked Clarke up and ran down a trail to escape the wrath of Lexa. Every time Clarke saw that picture, she smiled. She relished the memory of waking Lexa up from a nap with a bucket of water from the lake. And she loved the look on Lexa’s face when Anya had carried her off.

The sounds of muttering drew Clarke’s attention to the guest room. Or rather, to Anya’s office. Clarke shed her jacket and moved toward the partially open door.

“Anya?” She said quietly, tapping on the door.

Whirling around, Anya stared at her, mouth open in shock. Then she turned back to her desk and tossed the textbook she’d been reading from down. “Clarke! You’re early!”

“No…” she replied slowly, stepping to the room. “I’m actually a few minutes late. Are you wearing glasses?”

Swiping the objects off her face, she shook her head, “No.”

“What is going on? Why are you wearing glasses?” Clarke asked. She craned her neck, trying to see what Anya had been reading. “What are you reading about?”

“Give me a few minutes and we can go,” Anya said, shooing Clarke out of the room.

Refusing to budge, Clarke crossed her arms over her chest, “That isn’t going to work. You know it isn’t. Tell me what’s going on. You were pacing and reading and talking to yourself. In Trig!”

Clenching her jaw, Anya tried to think of an out. But Clarke Griffin was a stubborn woman. Her curiosity was like a pit bull, once she latched onto an idea, she couldn’t let it go until she was satisfied.

“I’m studying,” Anya finally said. Her open hand bounced against the outside of her thigh, her eyes stared at the grain of the wood floor at Clarke’s feet.

“For what?”

Taking a deep breath, Anya tried not to groan before she said, “law school.”

The squeak that escaped Clarke was unexpected. She’d been prepared for shouting and hugs and loud noises of excitement. All she got was a single squeak. Anya lifted her eyes to meet Clarke’s, “That’s it?”

“I’m going to call Raven and tell her we’re canceling. I’ll tell her I have an exam coming up for the academy and I need your help,” Clarke said as she rolled up the sleeves of her black and grey plaid shirt.

“What?”

Rolling her eyes, Clarke took Anya’s glasses from her hand and slid them onto her nose, “I’m going to help you study. Tell me what you need to know and I’ll quiz you.”

****

**_2 months ago…_ **

“You did it!” Clarke shouted as she sprinted across the field.

Catching her as she jumped had become second nature to Anya. She caught her around the waist, holding tightly as Clarke squeezed her.

“I can’t believe you did it!” Clarke exclaimed loudly, laughing as Anya spun her around. “You graduated from law school! Top of your class!”

“Uncle Gus said I can start at the firm in a month! One more month and I’m done with being a cop!” Anya said.

It wasn’t that Anya hated being a cop but she’d seen enough of the evil in the world already to know she wanted to save others from it. So she’d worked crazy hours and pulled all-nighters to complete law school without anyone else knowing. Well, no one besides her uncle and Clarke.

“I’m so proud of you!” Clarke whispered as Anya lowered her to the ground.

Not for the first time, Anya had to fight off the urge to kiss her. Every time it happened, she’d be overwhelmed with guilt. Clarke was Lexa’s. Maybe they weren’t together anymore but she was still Lexa’s best friend. She couldn’t… no.

She wouldn’t make a move until she’d talked to Lexa. So she’d promised herself she’d do just that when Lexa came home for Christmas.

“I’m proud of you too!” Raven shouted as she and Luna approached. “I’d have run to you too but I don’t think you’d have caught me.”

****

**_3 weeks and 2 days ago…_ **

“Ahn!” Clarke called out as she entered Anya’s apartment. “Come on! Raven and Luna are already at the restaurant!”

She hurried to Anya’s office. She’d taken to staying in that room for hours on end, working on whatever case she’d been assigned. Of course, the one time she’d hoped to find Anya at her desk with those devilishly attractive glasses on the tip of her nose, Anya isn’t there.

Turning on her heel, she marched to Anya’s bedroom door. She knocked and waited for a response. None came. She opened the door slightly, glancing around the darkened room. Anya wasn’t in there either.

“Hey!” Anya called as she opened the door. “You beat me here!”

“I was starting to worry!” Clarke sighed, relieved her friend wasn’t missing or something.

Anya put down her briefcase and shed her coat, “Let me get changed really quick and we can go. Text Raven and let her know?”

Nodding, Clarke did just that. Raven used their tardiness as an excuse to change their dinner destination. She was sure the waitress was trying to hit on Luna and she wasn’t happy about it. So they discussed other options. Once Raven and Luna chose a new place, Clarke tapped on Anya’s door, wanting to tell her about the venue change.

“Hey, Ahn,” Clarke started, “We’re going to go get pizza instead. Raven was being dumb about the waitress – ”

She trailed off when her eyes found Anya’s bare torso revealed to her. Anya had changed into some tight jeans, shredded and worn in all the right places, and had just slipped on one of her nicer bras. As Clarke had entered her room, she’d been pulling a tank top over her head.

“Clarke?” Anya waved a hand in front of her face, smiling bemusedly.

“Holy abs for days!” Clarke gasped. She blinked and realized Anya was much closer now. And, as always, she smelled deliciously good.

Snickering, Anya arched a brow, “Got an eyeful did you?”

“I had no idea… you’re ripped!” Clarke said it almost like an accusation.

“I work out a lot,” Anya shrugged as she reached for the sweater she’d picked for the evening. “It helps me with my stress.”

Stepping forward, Clarke almost reached out to feel those muscles. She just barely restrained herself. Instead, she looked up at Anya, her tawny eyes watching every move Clarke was making.

“Since we’re celebrating your graduation from the academy,” Anya smirked and lifted her tank top just enough for Clarke to see her abs again. “Here’s your shot, Griffin.”

Taking that for permission, Clarke ran her fingertips over Anya’s torso. The touch was lighter, gentler than anything Anya had ever felt before. Her muscles tensed and bunched at the touch.

“Sweet Sappho,” Clarke murmured as she watched goosebumps rise on Anya’s skin.

Using her finger, Anya tipped Clarke’s head back. She smiled at the dazed looked in those blue eyes she’d come to cherish, “I know I shouldn’t say much right now, so I won’t but I want you to know I’m going to talk to Lexa.”

“About what?” Clarke asked, her fingers making another trip down her abs.

“You know what,” Anya replied confidently. She dropped her tank top and used her free hand to smooth back Clarke’s hair.

Anya would forever blame Clarke for what happened next. When Clarke sighed and turned her face into her hand, forcing her to cup her face gently, Anya couldn’t be held responsible for her actions. The woman before her looked too soft, too ethereal to be real. And Anya, well, she had to taste her. Even if it was just the once.

So she did.

She lowered her head and caught Clarke’s lips in a gentle kiss. For the first second or two, Clarke didn’t react. Then she was kissing Anya back. Their lips molded together, moved together in a dance Anya had never known existed. She pulled back, searching Clarke’s eyes for resistance before she dove back in for another taste.

When her tongue met Clarke’s that was when Anya knew she needed to pull back. She needed to take a step back to make sure she didn’t take anything too far. If Anya was telling the truth, she had hopes for a future with Clarke Griffin. But she had to talk to Lexa first.

“I think I’ll take a rain check on dinner,” Anya whispered.

“No,” Clarke shook her head. “It’s okay. We’ll just forget – ”

Anya hushed her, cupping her jaw and tracing the shape of her lips with her thumb, “I’m not forgetting anything. I just need to take care of some things.”

“Ahn, please.”

“It’s all good, Griffin,” Anya assured her.

“Just… give me a bit of time? You can do that right?”

****

**_Present time…_ **

Clarke hadn’t been to Anya’s apartment since that night. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out Anya felt guilty for the kiss, maybe even regretted it. That thought hurt the most. Clarke had thought they were on the same page, moving at the same pace. Turns out, she was miles ahead of Anya.

“Lexa,” Clarke hissed when Lexa pressed the button for the 12th floor.

“It’s all good,” Lexa smiled and shrugged. “I’ve got this.”

Clarke sighed and settled against the wall of the elevator, “There’s nothing to get. She doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“No, she does. She just wants to talk to me first,” Lexa replied. “So I’ll talk, she’ll listen, and then you two can figure yourselves out with the phantom of me hanging over you.”

She wanted to argue more but Lexa made it seem so simple, so easy. When she finally settled on a new argument, the doors opened and Lexa was pulling her down the hallway.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Clarke tried one last time.

“Have a little faith,” Lexa laughed.  
Stopping in front of 1219, Lexa knocked loudly. “Anya! Open up!”

“You better have food with you! I ordered a pizza an hour ago and it isn’t here yet,” Anya yelled back as she approached the door. “I hate the snow and I want pizza.”

The door opened to reveal a disheveled Anya. Lexa tsked at her, looking her up and down. An old police academy sweatshirt and joggers looked like royal robes on her cousin. The woman could make anything look good.

“I don’t have food for you. I do have Clarke though,” Lexa motioned to the woman standing next to her. “I’m going to go but before I do, I have a few things to say.”

“Do you?” Anya narrowed her eyes at Clarke.

Lexa stepped between them, smiling up at her cousin. She placed her hands on Anya’s shoulders and gave her a shake to make sure she had her full attention, “first, you should have told me about law school. I’m so proud of you! Second, you don’t have to ask me if I’m okay with you dating Clarke, that’s not my business. Just be good to her. Third, you ought to know it's rude to kiss a pretty girl and then not return her calls for nearly a month.”

“Anything else?” Anya bit out.

“Yeah,” Lexa replied with a wink. She stepped back. She moved Clarke forward until she was right in front of Anya, “stop being an idiot. Tell her how you feel. And feed her! She’d had too much caffeine and not enough food today. She’s like a squirrel on crack when she drinks that much coffee!”

Anya stared into Clarke’s eyes for the first time in almost a month, “I can do all of that.”

“Good. Glad you’re going to stop being an idiot,” Lexa smiled and turned to leave.

A smile slowly stretched Anya’s lips as Clarke stepped into her arms for a hug. Her head nestled into her chest and they both sighed.

“See you at Gran’s tomorrow!” Lexa called out as the elevator doors closed behind her.

Ignoring her cousin, Anya kissed the top of Clarke’s head. She stepped back and opened her door wider, “Want to come inside? Maybe we can talk?”

“Over pizza?” Clarke asked.

“Of course,” Anya laughed. “Pizza and beer. Nothing but the best for you!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Anya finally have their talk. 
> 
> Other hangs happen too...
> 
> Enjoy!!

Clarke had never been so uneasy sitting in Anya’s apartment before. She’d always felt welcome, at home. Anya was a big part of that. With Anya so uncomfortable, Clarke couldn’t help but fidget.

“I can go,” she offered quietly, setting her fork and knife down on the table.

“No!” Anya rushed to respond.

Sighing, Clarke shook her head, “You have to give me something here, Ahn. I can’t just sit here not knowing what you’re thinking. Are you mad at me? Should I not have talked to Lexa?”

“I’m not mad,” Anya replied, her hand slid across the table and grasped Clarke’s lightly. She smiled softly when Clarke intertwined their fingers. “I promise. I’m not mad. I was planning on talking to Lexa tomorrow. I couldn’t… the time had… I just needed to talk to her before.”

“Before?” Clarke echoed.

“Yes, before,” Anya nodded.

She glanced down at her plate, there was still half a slice of pizza left for her eat. Suddenly, she wasn’t hungry. She had Clarke sitting in front of her, close to begging for answers, to reasons why. And Anya was determined to give them to her.

“Come with me?” Anya stood, moving slowly so their hands could stay linked.

Without a word, Clarke rose out of her chair, moving to Anya’s side. She was led through the living room to the guest room. She smiled softly, remembering the day she found Anya pacing and muttering Latin phrases to herself.

Anya let her stand in silence for a minute before she spoke, “This was where it really started for me I think. I mean, it was when I started to recognize it. I knew before then. I think it was the night of the bonfire on the beach, when we talked about Lexa. But the night you stayed here and helped me study? Yeah…. That was the start.”

“It was the same for me. At least I think it was,” Clarke whispered, turning to face her. “I don’t know when it started, but that night, when I found you with your glasses barely perched on the tip of your nose? Yeah. That’s when I knew.”

“I don’t think either of us was very subtle about all of it. Not really. I know Luna knew, she teased me enough about it,” Anya laughed.

Clarke thought back to their interactions over the last year. And about all of Raven’s hints and teasing. “Oh, I’m sure everyone knows. No one wants to be the one to come out and say it.”

Taking a deep breath, Anya took Clarke’s other hand in hers and pulled her to the couch. They curled up on opposite ends, their feet and legs brushing against each other. She grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and spread it over their laps.

They sat in silence for a while then. Clarke was right, no one wanted to be the one to just come out and say it.

Finally, Anya forced herself to speak, “I hate snow.”

“What?”

“Snow, I hate it.”

Clarke blinked at her, brows furrowing over bright blue eyes, “Who hates snow?”

“Me!” Anya insisted. She pointed at the Tibetan art, “Have you ever thought about spending a winter there? I did once. In college, remember? So much snow!”

Tilting her head, Clarke nudged her with her foot, “Why else do you hate the snow?”

“It makes everything look beautiful,” Anya replied.

“And that’s bad?” Clarke laughed.

One shoulder raised in a shrug. Anya wasn’t sure what to say exactly. Then she settled on the truth. One of them had to start. Right?

“I remember seeing you in the snow. It was just after Lexa and Costia had met again. You were walking around town with your coat on and a sky blue beanie hanging off your head. You’d been crying, I could tell. But you didn’t want company,” Anya watched her closely for any reaction. Clarke’s eyes were sparkling in the dancing light of her Christmas tree. “You’d have called Raven or Octavia for company. So I watched you walk along. I think I can honestly say that was the first time I noticed how breathtakingly beautiful you are.”

A blush rose up Clarke’s neck and onto her cheeks. She smiled shyly, turning her face into the back of the couch and holding up a hand to block Anya’s view. It didn’t deter her though, Anya only moved closer to her and pulled her hand away. She turned the hand so the palm was up and she ran her fingertips over it, drawing invisible patterns into Clarke’s skin.

“I mean, it wasn’t that I didn’t already know you were beautiful. Anyone with eyes can see that. But before then, you were beautiful and Lexa’s and I couldn’t let myself go there,” Anya finished her thought.

“So you hate the snow because it made you realize I’m beautiful?”

That had Anya’s head tossed back with a loud laugh. She shook her head and squeezed Clarke’s hand, “No. I hate it because you’re so beautiful and it made me think of you as someone I could want and I… I just couldn’t go there. I couldn’t do that to Lexa.”

“Anya?” Clarke whispered, tugging on her hand until she shifted closer. One of Anya’s legs dropped to the floor, Clarke’s stretching out over her thigh.

“Yeah?”

A shy smile crept onto Clarke’s face, “I think you’re breathtakingly beautiful too. That night, the first time I helped you study? I think I had to remind myself to breathe about a thousand times. But you were Lexa’s too. And I couldn’t let you put yourself in that position.”

Silence fell around them again. Anya continued to play with Clarke’s hand, every once in a while pausing as if she was about to speak again. Eventually, Clarke’s free hand sank into Anya’s hair, scratching at her scalp and playing with the little braids.

“I want to take that chance,” Clarke finally said.

“What chance?”

Rolling her eyes, she tugged Anya closer again. She sat up and grinned, “I know you know what I mean, Ahn. But if you need the words, I’ll give them to you.” She pulled her hand free and sank it into Anya’s hair. She tipped her head to the side and studied the woman before her. “I want to take a chance on us. Yes, I was Lexa’s once upon a time. And yes, in another life I probably would have been hers for the rest of our lives. But that’s not my life. I’m not hers. And I’m more than okay with that. She’s… she’s my best friend. Or she will be again. But you… I think we both know you could be so much more than that.”

“Clarke,” Anya croaked. She dipped her head and sniffled.

Fingers under her chin had Anya’s head rising again. Clarke smiled and wiped away the tear trailing down Anya’s cheek with her thumb. She leaned forward, carefully, giving Anya an out if she wanted one. Then she pressed her lips to that gloriously high cheekbone. When Anya’s hand gripped the back of her neck, Clarke pressed her forehead to Anya’s.

“I need to hear you say it, Ahn,” Clarke whispered.

After a few seconds, Anya nodded. She knew what Clarke meant. She knew what she wanted. So she took a deep breath and pulled back just enough to meet Clarke’s eyes. When she saw the tears slowly running down her cheeks, she cupped her face in her hands, her thumbs wiping them away.

“I want to take that chance too, Clarke.”

That was all it took for Anya to find herself tackled and pinned to the couch. Clarke’s arms were around her neck, her face pressed against the column of her throat. Anya buried her face in the wild blonde locks and held her close. She let Clarke cry, trying to hide her own tears the whole time.

After a while, Clarke pulled away and ran for the bathroom. Anya called out to her, confused about what she was doing, where she was going.

A few minutes later, she came back. She crawled back on top of Anya and held on tight.

“What was that?” Anya whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“I just got you to admit you want to take a chance with me,” Clarke replied, her voice muffled by Anya’s neck. “You think I want you to see my crying face?”

Anya chuckled and shook her head, “Griffin, you cried when we went to see Wonder Woman in theaters.”

“Hey!” Clarke sat up, pushing herself back onto her heels.

“You’re a crier,” Anya shrugged and sat up too. “I know that. I’m okay with that. I think I’ve become pretty good at comforting you.”

Narrowing her eyes, Clarke nodded, “Just never be the reason I’m crying. Never again.”

“You cried?” Anya blanched at the thought.

A snort and an eye roll. That was her response. Then Clarke sighed, “You kissed me and then ignored me, Anya.”

“I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t… I couldn’t…”

“I know. You needed to talk to Lexa.”

“Thank you,” Anya said quietly, reaching for Clarke’s hands. She pulled until Clarke was nearly pressed up against her. “Clarke?”

Humming, Clarke dropped her eyes to Anya’s lips. They were often bent into a smirk that simultaneously infuriated and aroused her. At that moment, they were formed into the softest smile she’d ever witnessed on Anya’s face. She nodded. She knew was Anya was asking for, she was more than willing to agree.

Time seemed to halt as Anya moved closer. Tawny eyes flicked from Clarke’s lips to that freckle above her lip to her eyes, in an endless cycle. She paused, just a centimeter away. Their breaths mingled. Their eyes met and held. Then Anya closed the distance.

Eyes drifted shut as hands shifted to hold and grip. Anya sank one into Clarke’s hair until her fingers were pressed against the back of her head. She wound the other around her, pressing into the space between Clarke’s shoulder blades. And Clarke’s, they were both pressed against Anya’s back, fingers splayed wide, then her hands were closing to grip her hoodie tight.

One kiss, long and sensual, everything they’d been hoping for and dreaming of, melted into more and more. Hands grip and pulled and pressed. Legs shifted and wrapped.

When the women parted, Anya had to blink herself back into awareness. How had she ended up on top of Clarke? How had they maneuvered on the narrow couch without falling off?

She sat up, run her hands through her hair, smiling when she felt how mussed it was. She blushed too, looking down at Clarke. Blonde hair was spread out over the armrest of the couch. Her eyes followed Clarke’s arms, down toward her hands, which were now gripping the pocket of Anya’s hoodie tightly. Further on, Anya’s eyes traced over Clarke’s thighs, which she was nestled between.

“You’re blushing,” Clarke whispered.  
Anya ran her hands down her arms until she could pull Clarke’s hand away. She laced their fingers and tugged until Clarke was sitting up, nearly straddling her.

“I like you,” Anya replied. She knew she was blushing even harder now that she had said the words out loud. “I like you. I think I’m falling for you.”

“Ahn?” Clarke interrupted her before she could start rambling.

She nodded, leaning forward until her forehead pressed into the side of Clarke’s neck. And then she breathed. Deeply. It almost felt like her soul was being cleansed when Clarke held her. When she heard Clarke’s chuckle, she opened her eyes.

“I may have… um…” Anya sat up and pressed against the purple bruises running up her neck.

“You look awfully proud of yourself, Woods,” Clarke tsked and kissed her quickly.

As much as Anya wanted to argue, she puffed her chest up instead. She wasn’t proud of it but she was thrilled to see her marks on Clarke’s neck. She’d put them there. Clarke had let her put them there.

“Anya,” Clarke dipped her head until their eyes met again. When they did, she smiled, “I like you too. And I know I’m falling for you. I’m more than halfway to being in love with you. You’re just playing catch up is all.”

Her words set off another round of kissing and wandering hands. This time, it was Clarke who managed to shift them until she was straddling Anya. It was Clarke who bit and sucked bruises into Anya’s neck, grinning when she was reminded about Christmas and family gatherings.

“Clarke,” Anya panted, pushing gently on her shoulders.

“Busy, Ahn,” Clarke replied, her lips closing around her earlobe.

“Just… one more serious… no… two more serious things and then… back to this!”

Lifting up a little, Clarke narrowed her eyes, “Promise?”

“As if I’d willingly take a break from the girl I’ve been crushing on for nearly a year trying to devour me for something not serious,” Anya rolled her eyes.

“Okay,” Clarke sat up. She crossed her arms over her chest, forcing her fists tightly against her body to keep from grabbing and exploring some more.

Anya sat up a little, supporting herself on one elbow. Her free hand rested on Clarke’s knee, her fingers going back to drawing patterns again.

“Be my girlfriend,” she said quietly.

Clarke laughed, “Are you asking or telling?”

“Asking. Nicely,” Anya smirked up at her. She lifted her hands to cup Clarke’s face. “Please? Be mine?”

“As long as you’re mine too,” Clarke nodded, turning her head to kiss her palm.

Allowing one more deep kiss, Anya pulled away. She kept her eyes closed for a moment, savoring the feelings. Then she sighed.

“That leaves the topic of our families. You know mine. They’ll be weird about this at first but once they see Lexa is okay with it, they’ll come around. I expect a couple of the cousins to make comments but Lexa and I will deal with them. I want you to come to Gran’s tomorrow. With me. As my girlfriend.”

“Like pulling off a band-aid?” Clarke asked, a small smile still there on her lips. “I’ll be fine, Anya. I’m a big girl. But I know you and Lexa will have my back. Costia too, probably.”

“So you’ll come?”

Nodding, Clarke kissed her again.

Anya pushed her back again, gently and cleared her throat and said, “One more thing. Your mother. I know you two have been working things out. Getting along better and all of that. But you need to know something. Because I know she’ll use it as a weapon if she thinks she can.”

“What did she do?”

“She didn’t do anything. Not really,” Anya replied quickly. She shifted so she was sitting up more. “It’s just… when you switched majors and she kicked you out. You went through months of not talking. And you hated it. Then, she came around a few months ago, right?”

“Yeah? And?”

Swallowing thickly, Anya continued, “I went to see her. I know you wanted us to leave it alone but… you were so sad, Clarke. I couldn’t just let you suffer. So I went and I talked to her. I think I must have said something that struck a chord because she called you the next day.”

“You went behind my back and talked to my mother because I was sad?”

“Yes.”

Clarke tilted her head, reminding Anya of a golden retriever puppy, “And you think I’m going to be mad about that?”

“Aren’t you?”

“That was before you were my girlfriend,” Clarke shrugged and smiled. “You helped us get over ourselves. Mostly. Just… no more nefarious plots with my mother now that you’re mine?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Anya visit Gran’s house for Christmas. Then they go on their first date!

They stood outside the quaint little house. They’d promised each other they’d be okay, that they could handle whatever was thrown at them. But that had been in the happy haze of finally admitting their feelings.

Now?

The prospect of facing the Woods clan was terrifying!

“Clarke,” Anya said softly, brushing the snowflakes of her girlfriend’s shoulder. “We don’t have to do this. Not today.”

Then came shake of a head and a deep breath and blue eyes meeting brown. “I’m fine, Ahn. Really.”

“We really don’t have to do this,” Anya said again.

“Do you not want me to meet your family?” Clarke teased, quirking a brow.

The normally stoic older woman rolled her eyes. She tugged Clarke into her arms and lowered her head for a quick kiss. Which was followed by a not so quick kiss.

“I want to do everything right with you,” Anya responded finally. She laughed when Clarke’s eyes crossed from watching a snowflake land on her nose. “I just don’t know how to do this part right.”

“You could start by coming inside you losers!” Raven called from the porch. She was hugging herself and grinning at them. Then she winked and hurried back inside.

Clarke laughed and dropped her forehead to Anya’s shoulder. She’d forgotten Raven was going to be around. At least they’d have someone to run interference.

“In a minute!” Anya called back and waved her away.

They stood in the snow, under the streetlight for a while longer. When Clarke felt an involuntary shiver run down her back from the cold, Anya sighed and stepped back.

“Last chance?” She offered.

She really would understand if Clarke didn’t want to do this right now. The house was full of generations of Woods and they were notoriously difficult to please. True, they’d have Raven and Luna in their corner. But they’d have Uncle Ollie and Aunt Val against them. And that was just to start.

“I’m good.” Clarke pulled in a deep breath and nodded.

Studying her as much as she could in the weak light, Anya finally nodded. “Don’t leave my side?”

Clarke was about to respond, to tease Anya for being just as nervous as she was, when the front door opened again.

And there was Lexa.

The three of them watched each other carefully. True, Lexa knew about them. Lexa had claimed she was fine with them. But now was the moment of truth.

“Are you two coming inside? Gran is getting worried,” Lexa stepped outside and closed the door.

Anya nodded, swallowing thickly. Maybe she wasn’t overly concerned with Clarke being ready. Maybe she was worried she wasn’t ready.

“We’re coming,” Clarke replied, smiling broadly.

Lexa walked until she was under the streetlight with them. She was grinning when she stopped. “You two are adorable.”

“Don’t tease,” Clarke rolled her eyes.

“I’m not. I’m being serious,” Lexa winked at Anya. “Come inside. Raven, Luna, Costia, and I have your backs. We’re the ultimate united front. Raven even has Uncle Ollie talking about Trump’s wall already.”

Anya sighed. Of course Raven would take the conversation there. “Seriously?”

“She keeps saying, ‘is it because I’m brown?’ and glaring at people. I thought Ollie was going to lose it when Raven started talking to Luna in Spanish.” Lexa reached out and grabbed their wrists. She pulled them up the front walk and to the front door. “And Costia isn’t helping. She keeps asking Raven what all the household items are called in Spanish. And then the kids all joined in. Honestly, I think it’s a huge possibility that Ollie’s head will explode at some point tonight.”

Before they even knew what was happening, Lexa had them inside the house and hanging up their coats. She left them in the foyer, going to find her girlfriend to make sure her uncle wasn’t strangling her.

“Are you ready?” Anya asked softly.

Her hand reached out to run Clarke’s arm gently. When it reached Clarke’s hand, she laced their fingers together.

“I am,” Clarke nodded and smiled up at her. “Kiss for good luck?”

Of course Anya obliged her. Just a quick kiss, nearly chaste, but enough to soothe Clarke’s nerves. Anya cupped her neck with her free hand, tracing her jaw with her thumb. “If you want to leave, just tell me? Don’t try to be stubborn and stay because you think I want to.”

“But you do want to,” Clarke said.

“I’d rather be somewhere with you where we’re both comfortable and happy. If that means hiding in my apartment with crappy Hallmark movies and pizza and beer, I’m okay with that.”

That had Clarke smiling up at her. They’d spent the morning watching those movies. They’d only refrained from the pizza and beer because they knew Gran’s party was later and they wanted to go.

“If I want to leave, I will tell you,” Clarke whispered. She stepped closer, just a couple of inches. “But for now, let’s get you in there with your family.”

“Can I hold your hand?”

Laughing, Clarke nodded. “I’d really like that.”

****

As it turned out. Anya’s family wasn’t as horrified as they’d thought they’d be. The cousins all seemed to know already, whether Lexa had warned them or Raven had said something. Once they knew Lexa was cool with it, they seemed to accept it.

The older generation though. Not so accepting. As expected, Uncle Ollie and Aunt Val had plenty to say. So did Uncle Coop, Uncle Lee, and Aunt Minnie.

No matter what they said or did, Clarke stood resolutely at Anya’s side. Her grip on Anya’s hand never faltering for a second.

“Frankly, Ollie,” Anya bit out. “I don’t see why my relationship is any of your concern.”

“Maybe you and Lexa should have a talk. I don’t think she’d like you dating her girl.” Ollie smirked and sipped at his beer.

Clarke’s free hand came up and rubbed at Anya’s arm, trying to calm her. It was hardly working.

“Ex-girl.” Lexa spoke evenly from behind Clarke and Anya. She shot an apologetic look to her cousin as she stepped forward. “Clarke and I ended things amicably years ago. I’m happy with Costia and Clarke will be happy with Anya.”

“Still doesn’t make it right,” Coop muttered.

Anya sighed and shook her head. She turned to face Clarke, bending her neck so she could whisper in her ear, “can you give me five minutes?”

“Are you going to punch anyone?” Clarke questioned just as quietly.

Snorting out a laugh, Anya shook her head. “They’re trying to get a rise out of me because you’re here next to me. Just… five minutes and I’ll come find you.”

“Make good choices, babe,” Clarke nodded and gave her a quick kiss.

Then she was gone.

As one, Lexa and Anya turned to face their relatives. Even though they were younger, they still demanded respect. And that respect was meant to be shared with their chosen partners.

****

“Clarke?”

She stiffened at that voice. It was one she hadn’t really heard since high school. She took a deep breath and turned around. How had she found her hiding in the back bedroom?

“Hello, Costia.”

“Can we talk?” Costia asked.

Clarke shrugged, “you’re not going to ask me how to say ceiling fan in Spanish are you?”

“Nope. I already asked Raven,” Costia replied with a smile. Then she laughed. “Four times.”

“Then come on in,” Clarke replied.

She did. She moved to join Clarke at the window, watching the snow dance in the wind.

At first, neither of them said anything. Then Clarke cleared her throat.

“Thank you,” She whispered.

“For what?” Costia asked.

Clarke turned to face the woman she’d thought she’d never like, never have to spend any time with. She was watching her closely.

“I know Lexa probably told you about our talk yesterday. And I’m sure she didn’t relay something correctly. So…” Clarke shrugged. She tried to figure out exactly what she wanted to say. When she couldn’t formulate a speech, she decided to wing it. “She deserves all the best in life. Once upon a time, I thought I’d be the one to give that to her. But things change, people change, and I’m not that girl anymore. But I do care about Lexa. I’ve known her all my life. And I want her to be happy. You make her so happy, Costia. So thank you.”

“It wasn’t easy in the beginning. Either time around for us,” Costia said after a quiet moment. “I was convinced she was hung up on you. No matter what she said, I was sure. Then she came to me crying because you wouldn’t talk to her.”

Grimacing, Clarke nodded. That had been a dark time for both her and Lexa. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I just… hearing her gush about you made me realize some things and I didn’t like that.”

“You don’t still love her?”

“She’s my best friend. I’ll always love her. But no. I’m not in love with her,” Clarke explained as plainly as she could. “That’s your job. And as Lexa’s best friend, if you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down. Raven will help me hide the body.”

For a long moment, they stared at each other. They hadn’t gotten along as teenagers, not at all. They’d been too preoccupied with wanting Lexa’s attention for themselves. As adults, priority change. But now, they shared one. Making sure Lexa Woods got to be happy.

“I think you and I might actually get along now, Clarke,” Costia finally smiled.

“Probably too well. It’ll scare our girlfriends.”

Costia nodded. Then she laughed. “That could be fun for us!”

****

As promised, Anya found Clarke five minutes after they parted. She was still in the back bedroom, watching the snowfall outside.

Sliding up behind her girlfriend, Anya wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled until her back was flush against her. She dipped her head to kiss her neck gently.

“Can we go please?” She asked softly, whispering into Clarke’s ear.

“Are you sure?”

Anya pressed her forehead to the side of Clarke’s head and nodded. “I’ve seen Gran. I’ve talked to her. She says hello by the way. She wants us to come by after the holidays for dinner.”

“Yeah?” Clarke smiled at the though. She’d always had a soft spot for Gran. She was an old woman who spoke nothing but her mind. It was great.

“Yes. So now I’d like to take you back to mine,” Anya kissed her neck again and smiled at the sigh Clarke let out.

****

The holidays passed in a blur.

Anya was surprised how much she got to see Clarke. She’d thought they’d both be busy with family things. But Clarke made herself available as much as Anya did, so their time was spent mostly together.

Then one night, just after Christmas as they were cuddling on Anya’s couch she asked, “How about a real date?”

“Yeah?” Clarke beamed up at her.

Anya nodded and accepted the kiss Clarke pressed to her lips. “I want to do this right. So dinner and an activity that I’ll plan for us?”

“When?” Clarke asked.

“Tomorrow night?”

She was nodding quickly. “Please!”

****

The next night came quicker than expected. Anya showed up wearing a pair of jeans Clarke wanted to peel her out of as soon as she saw them and a black and grey flannel shirt under her black leather jacket.

“How do you make even the simplest of outfits look like that?” Clarke whined.

“Like what?” Anya asked, glancing down at herself.

Clarke shook her head, “Like you’re literally a sex goddess come to Earth?”

There was no modest way to answer that question. Anya knew that. So she didn’t even try. She could only smile.

“You look amazing,” she whispered, reaching out to grasp Clarke’s hips and pull her closer. And she did. The sky blue V-neck and grey jeans and knee-high boots.

“Yeah?”

“Maybe not quite goddess level but some of you mere mortals come close,” Anya grinned and turned her shoulders a little when Clarke gasped and swatted at her.

Narrowing her eyes, Clarke said, “you had better watch it, Woods.”

“Or what?” Anya asked. She caught her as she took a step back. Pulling her close again, she smiled, “You’re more of goddess than I’ll ever be, Clarke. A radiant and gorgeous sun goddess that I can’t believe has agreed to be mine.”

“Nice recovery,” Clarke responded as she looped her arms around Anya’s neck.

“And I really, really like the boots. Now I don’t have to bend down quite so much to do this.”

It wasn’t the most successful kiss they’d ever shared. It was difficult to kiss when they were both grinning like fools. Then they were laughing.

“Where are we going?” Clarke asked when Anya began to lead her down the front walk and to her car.

“You should know better. It’s a surprise.”

Clarke rolled her eyes and sighed. She’d seen that answer coming. “If you think I’m wearing a blindfold, you’re insane. I’ll scream kidnap.”

Opening the passenger door, Anya waited for her girlfriend to sit. “Just promise to close your eyes when I tell you and we’re good. I trust you.”

She promised with a kiss as she climbed into the car.

****

Having to sit in a car for fifteen minutes with her eyes closed was not fun. Clarke was too curious. But she didn’t want to ruin Anya’s surprise. So she sighed more than a few times and played with Anya’s fingers, clasped between her own.

“We’re here,” Anya said as she pulled the car into a parking space.

Blue eyes flew open and blinked a few times to adjust to the light. “The planetarium?”

“Luna knows a guy. It’s all ours for a few hours tonight,” Anya explained, leaning in for a quick kiss before jumping out of the car and hurrying to open Clarke’s door.

They strolled hand in hand to the doors where they found a guard waiting for them.

Before Clarke even knew what was happening, they were inside and alone.

As the room darkened and she reclined in a chair, Anya was hurrying around.

“Come down here,” Anya called out from somewhere in front of her.

Clarke used the barely there light to make her way over to where Anya had set up a picnic. She dropped to her knees and smiled.

“Why?”

Anya blushed. She shrugged and handed Clarke a juice box, “you told me once that your favorite idea for a date is sitting under the clearest sky imaginable and watching a meteor shower. With a picnic of wine and sandwiches. And… well. It’s December and it’s freezing outside and we couldn’t being alcohol in here but I still wanted to give you part of that.”

“Oh, Ahn,” Clarke leaned forward, catching Anya’s still moving mouth in a hard kiss.

“We’ll do this again in the summer sometime. I’ve already looked up meteor showers and dark sky parks around us.”

“Please stop talking,” Clarke spoke against her lips. “I’m trying to kiss my incredible goddess of a girlfriend.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see a little bit of Anya at work. And there is some Clanya time!

This was not at all how Anya had expected her evening to go. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she sighed. If she didn’t leave soon, she’d be eating dinner with Chad instead of Clarke.

Not the best way to celebrate their 6-month anniversary.

“Maybe we should just take the deal,” Chad said, not for the first time.

“We are not going to take the deal,” Anya replied. She tried to keep the bite out of her words. She wasn’t successful, but she tried. The ache behind her eyes began to intensify.

Chad sighed, like he was annoyed by her refusal to take the easy way. “Why not? We tell Pilar to take the deal and sign the papers tomorrow morning. Then this is one less case to do research on.”

“We aren’t taking the deal because we know Pilar was sexually harassed at work. We have witnesses and the crime was caught on several cameras.”

“And the guy who she  _ claims _ harassed her got a year of probation in criminal court,” Chad said. He tipped his chair back onto 2 legs. “Don’t you think that’s enough?”

“No, Chad. I don’t.”

Another sigh. “Are you really one of  _ those _ women?”

Moving to the closet of her office, Anya snatched her purse from its hook. Muttering under her breath, in the limited amount of Spanish curse words Raven had taught her because she knew Chad would never know what she was saying, she unzipped the pocket where she kept her Motrin.

“Seriously though,” Chad said when she reemerged and closed the door behind her. ”Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“One of  _ those _ women?”

Taking a sip of water from the bottle on her desk, and silently wishing it was something much stronger, Anya took her time answering. “I am a woman. And more importantly I’m a person. And any person who would willingly sit by and allow another person to suffer isn’t a person I’d want to associate with. The gender of the person doing the hurting doesn’t matter any more than the gender of the person being hurt.”

“So just because she says it happened we’re meant to believe her?” Chad scoffed.

It took all of Anya’s self-control to not hurl her brand new laptop at his head. She was sure she could hit him in his square jawed face. He was only sitting 5 or 6 feet away. Instead, she pulled in a deep breath through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. It came out as a low hiss but there wasn’t much she could do about that. After half a dozen breaths, she started to picture Clarke and Clarke’s smile.

The tension slowly seeped from her jaw and shoulders. She opened her eyes and glared at the man boy leaning back precariously in her office chair.

“You’ve seen the video. You’ve talked to Pilar. You know we’re talking to witnesses this week. Are you really going to sit there and claim you don’t believe her?”

“All I’m saying is a lot of women like those kinds of comments.” Chad finally allowed the front legs of the chair to fall to the floor. He held up his hands. “Don’t get hysterical on me. How are men supposed to know who it is okay to say anything to?”

Finally, Anya’s normally tightly reined self-control snapped just a little. She stalked around her desk. She was in front of Chad before he even realized she’d moved.

Leaning over him, Anya growled, “maybe some people should learn to speak to other people with respect, regardless of gender or attractiveness. Maybe those ‘comments’ should be reserved for someone you know and not some random person you’ve never seen before. Maybe cornering someone in their office and nearly pinning them to the wall while you drool on them should socially unacceptable to everyone.”

“I’d never do that!” Chad defended himself.

“Maybe, telling a woman to ‘not get hysterical’ should be understood for the insult it is. Do you even know the historical connotations behind that phrase?” Anya straightened slowly, her eyes drilling into his. When she was at her full height, she had to ask, “Are you going to insinuate I’m on my period next?”

Chad shook his head rapidly, the blood draining from his face. “I would never – ”

“Yes,” Anya cut him off. Her eyes hardened menacingly. “Because you know me. But if I were just some… I’m going to guess you’d use the word  _ chick _ here. So if I were just some chick who turned down your advances? Would I be a ‘crazy bitch who needed a good pounding’ like Dr. Garrett claimed Pilar was? While he had her trapped in her office? At the hospital? Where she works?”

“Maybe I should ask Gustus to take me off the case,” Chad said quietly.

“Maybe you should start trying to learn to see the world differently,” Anya snapped. She moved to sit behind her desk again. “You’re not a bad lawyer, Chad. You’re actually pretty good. You’re just lazy. And if there’s an easy way, you’ll find it and take it. Move beyond the white frat guy mindset and try to think about Pilar and what she’s gone through.”

He tried to stand, only to freeze when Anya told him to sit back down. He hated that he obeyed so readily.

“I just don’t think you and I mesh,” He said. He leaned back in the chair and cross his arms.

“Which is why Mr. Woods has been partnering you with me so much lately. He wants you to understand more than just your narrow experiences in this world.”

“And what do you get out of this?” Chad asked.

Anya rolled her eyes. “I get to learn how to control my temper and not beat you with whatever weapon is handy. Including my hands.”

“Right…” Chad said slowly. “I’m going to go and get some coffee. Do you want a cup?”

“No.” Anya stood and shuffled through the mounds of paperwork on her desk. She slid a few files into her briefcase. “I’m done for the night. We’ve got a week until the court date. I suggest you take the night to think about what we’ve discussed.”

All he could do was nod. He’d fully expected to be burning the midnight oil on this case.

“Good. See you tomorrow.”

“Do you have somewhere to be?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“Yes,” Anya replied. She pulled on her leather jacket. “I’ll see you at 8 tomorrow morning. Be ready to answer my questions.”

****

“I’m so sorry I’m late!” Anya exclaimed as she rushed toward the table where Clarke sat waiting. She leaned down and pressed what was meant to be a quick kiss to her lips. As soon as she felt Clarke catch her bottom lip and suck ever so lightly though, she couldn’t stop herself from sighing and deepening the kiss. When Clarke finally released her, she sighed again and kissed her forehead. “Happy anniversary.”

Clarke grinned up at her. She reached up and wiped at Anya’s lips with her thumb in a futile effort to remove the lipstick she’d left behind. “Happy anniversary, love.”

A flash of heat raced up Anya’s spine. They’d only just started using the ‘L’ word. Every time it fell from Clarke’s mouth, Anya had to stop herself from smiling like a fool.

“Have you ordered yet?” Anya asked. She pulled off her jacket and sat opposite Clarke.

“About 5 minutes ago. After you sent the ‘nearly there’ text for the third time.”

“I love you.”

Clarke blinked and laughed. “That was an odd segue. You’re better than that, Woods. But I love you too.”

“I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”

“It’s okay,” Clarke assured her, catching her hand and giving it a squeeze. “It’s a great thing you’re doing for Pilar, Ahn. I know she’s thankful.”

The case was brought to Anya a few weeks prior but she’d been aware of the situation for months. Clarke had gone to the hospital to visit Abby and stumbled upon Pilar nearly pinned to the wall of her office in the pediatrics wings. Clarke immediately pulled out her phone and hit record when it was obvious Pilar wasn’t there willingly. She and Pilar had been fast friends ever since.

Of course, Clarke had kept Anya up to date on the court proceedings. Anya even sat in the gallery a couple of times. She was disgusted by the way Dr. Garrett’s lawyers went after Pilar and her past. As if that had anything to do with how he treated her!

When Garrett was let off with barely a slap on the wrist, Anya had immediately agreed to represent Pilar in civil court. She’d offered pro bono but Pilar wouldn’t hear of it.

“It isn’t the case. Which you know I can’t discuss with you,” Anya said. She winked as she took a sip of water. She cleared her throat and rolled her shoulders. “It’s fucking Chad.”

“The dude bro?”

“Yes!” Anya exclaimed, although it nearly sounded like a whine.

Clarke nodded. She’d heard all about Anya’s issues with the man before Gustus had the brilliant idea of partnering them for cases.

“I know I told you I couldn’t stand him before but… ugh!” Anya wanted to slam her forehead on the table. Instead, she gently rested it there. She still had a headache after all. “He told me not to get hysterical!”

“No!” Clarke gasped at that. The man must have a death wish!

“He did! And then… just… words! And… ugh!”

Leaning over the table, Clarke smoothed a hand over Anya’s hair. She clicked her tongue when Anya whined.

“Babe?” Clarke spoke quietly. Her hand threaded through dirty blonde locks.

“Yeah?” Anya sat up just enough to meet her eyes.

“I had them box up our food. And there’s already a 6-pack of your favorite beer in your fridge.”

Instead of the smile Clarke was expecting, she was met with another whine.

“Anya?”

“I’m ruining our anniversary!”

“No! Baby, no!”

Anya sat up and shook her head suddenly. “It’s okay. We’ll go back to mine and light some candles and eat. And wine for you and beer for me. No more talk about work or anything like that.”

“Yeah?” A slow smile spread across Clarke’s lips.

“Mmhmm,” Anya hummed. Leaning across the table and she tugged on Clarke’s hand so they could meet in a kiss. With her lips still lightly pressed to Clarke’s she whispered, “I love you, Griffin.”

****

“I like this not talking about the office thing,” Clarke said as she watched Anya try to catch her breath.

“Stop looking so smug,” Anya swatted at her shoulder.

They’d barely made it through half their meal before ending up in Anya’s bed. Clarke had given her a massage and then had given her 3 orgasms. Now she was on her side, leaning on her elbow with her head on her hand. She was smiling down at her girlfriend.

She couldn’t stop her eyes from traveling the length of Anya’s torso. From her collarbones to her breasts to her ridged abdomen to the V cut and, finally, down to the sheet that covered her legs. Then she made her way back up. Her hand followed her eyes’ path. She only stopped running her fingertips over Anya’s skin to circle her nipple while they talked.

“Stop that,” Anya huffed. She pulled the sheet higher.

“Anya?” Clarke whispered, her hand immediately moving back to Anya’s breast, this time to cup it over the sheet.

She hummed in response, her eyes were drifting closed.

Clarke laughed and leaned down to pepper kisses all over her face.

“What do you want?” Anya whined as she pretended to fight her off.

“I have a very serious question,” Clarke said. She moved to straddle her exhausted girlfriend.

“And what question is that?”

Clarke placed her hands on either side of Anya’s head. She grinned when Anya’s eyes fell to her chest. She had to ignore the frustrated groan Anya let out when she pressed herself against her fully, cutting off her view.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re the bottomiest bottom to ever bottom?”

Anya gasped, like she was the star of a murder-mystery show. She pointed her finger in Clarke's face, holding back a giggle as she said, “You take that back.”

“Can’t, babe. It’s the truth.”

“I’ll show you bottom!” Anya growled playfully.

Before she could do anything to follow up her nearly empty threats, Clarke sat up. At the sight of her breasts, Anya froze.

“You’re such a useless lesbian,” Clarke laughed and rolled her eyes. Then she winked at the pout Anya shot her.

She rolled her hips once. Twice.

“Clarke?” Anya whispered, her hands drifting up to grip her hips.

“Yeah?”

Anya flipped them over easily, pulling a startled yelp from Clarke. “I hope you don’t have any plans for tomorrow. Because now you’ll get no rest.”

****

“Good morning,” Chad nearly shouted when he entered Anya’s office then next morning.

“That’s debatable,” Anya replied. She didn’t look up from her computer screen when he took a seat. She continued sorting through her email until he propped his feet up on her desk. Then she arched her brow and lifted her narrowed eyes. “Excuse you?”

Chad smiled and lifted his coffee for a sip. After smacking his lips, he yawned and stretched. “What are we doing today?”

“ _ I _ am going to cut your feet off if you don’t remove them from my desk in the next 3 seconds. And then I’m going to go over the case notes while you bleed out on my floor,” Anya bit out.

“Geez,” Chad hurriedly dropped his feet to the floor. “Do you ever loosen up?”

“Not around dude bros,” Anya muttered.

It took a half an hour for Anya to get Chad focused enough to actually work on the case. First he needed to top off his coffee. Then he noticed the donuts in the kitchenette and took forever to pick one. Much to Anya’s disgust, he touched half a dozen of them before he picked one.

“Let’s go. Conference room 7 is ours for the rest of the week so we can spread out all the information we need to write up our case.” Anya led the way to the aforementioned room.

“Sure,” Chad said quietly behind her. “Let’s just get straight to work. Let’s not say hello to anyone. Just hole up in our conference room and pretend we don’t exist.”

Anya ignored him. She had to. Otherwise she’d snap and possibly say something unprofessional.

Once inside the room, they set up their files and laptops, splitting the work evenly. Then Anya started with her notes, talking them through with Chad. He’d try to interject every once in a while but mostly he sat quietly.

“I need coffee,” He said. It had only been half an hour since they’d started.

“You have a cup next to your elbow,” Anya replied, rifling through papers.

Chad sighed, “it’s cold.”

Pausing in her motions, Anya glanced at him. “You realize we’re in the middle of organizing the case? And if you leave, we’ll lose the flow.”

“I need caffeine.” Chad crossed his arms.

“You have 2 minutes,” Anya said. Then she glanced up when he didn’t move. “I’m not joking. 2 minutes. Starting now.”

She’d meant for him to hurry. She hadn’t meant for him to run. And he was running. Quickly.

“Hey, stranger.” A voice drifted in from the open door.

Looking up, Anya couldn’t stop the soft smile. She nearly tossed the file in her hand in the air. Instead, she closed it carefully and set it down. Crossing her arms, she leaned a hip against the table.

“What’re you doing here?” Anya asked. She watched Clarke approach slowly. “And you saw me this morning. Less than 3 hours ago.”

With a grin, Clarke loosely looped her arms around Anya’s shoulders. She played with the baby hairs on the back of her neck. “I wanted to see you. And tell you I had a lot of fun last night. And this morning…”

“And?” There was more to it. Anya could see it in her eyes.

“And Gustus called me and said you were about to kill someone,” Clarke admitted with a laugh. “I just want to make sure I won’t be having to arrange conjugal visits any time soon.”

Wrapping her arms around Clarke’s waist and laughed loudly. “I’m not going to kill anyone. I just got tired of talking to him. He has an answer for everything. And I’ve run out of patience. No killing though.”

“At least not premeditated,” Clarke said. She winked and gently tugged her down for a quick kiss.

“That right there,” Anya whispered, stealing another kiss, “That’s why no killing. I’d miss that too much.”

Clarke laughed, her head thrown back with no reservations. Anya barely resisted the urge to pick her up and spin her around in a circle.

“You’re going to ruin my reputation,” Anya whispered the warning. That didn’t stop Clarke from kissing her again. “I’m the mean one. The hard ass.”

“You’re a big softie,” Clarke shook her head. She smiled, broadly and brightly. “You promise no killing?”

A chuckle and a shake of the head was Anya’s answer. Then Clarke had pulled her down again, kissing her senseless.

“What the hell?”

Anya groaned. Of course Chad would actually nearly listen to her and hurry to get coffee. She pulled away from Clarke but kept their foreheads pressed together. Now she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to make if to the end of the day without Clarke.

“Who is this?” Chad asked. “And why are you smiling? I didn't know you could smile!”

“None of your business,” Anya replied.

“How do I know you’re not assaulting her?” Chad asked, smirking just a little.

Rolling her eyes, Clarke glanced at the man who had been driving her girlfriend crazy. “I’m Clarke. And you are interrupting.”

“So you show up and she goes all soft?” Chad inquired. “Can I have your number? I might need saving someday.”

A snort and a shake of the head came from Clarke. “That is never going to happen.”

“Then tell me your trick. How do you get her to be so nice to you?” 

Clarke shrugged, “I don’t really know. I fell in love with her when I wasn’t supposed to.”

“Holy shift.  _You_ are Anya’s girlfriend?” He asked.

“I don’t think  _ Ms. Woods _ wants to discuss her personal life.” Clarke responded.

Chad wouldn’t take that for an answer, “Are you – ”

“Go get a muffin, Chad,” Anya said, her eyes staying on her girlfriend.

“But I want to talk to Clarke,” Chad grinned.

With a growl, Anya released Clarke and moved to stand between her and Chad. She glared at the man. “You really need to realize that I’m not going to be all soft and pleasant just because she’s here. She’s seen the serious side of me – ”

“And she finds it incredibly sexy,” Clarke stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to Anya’s neck, just below her ear.

“Behave yourself,” Anya reached behind her and swatted at her hip. She kept her ever hardening eyes on Chad. “So go and get a muffin. Flirt with that mailroom girl you think none of us know about. I’ll text you when I need you.”

Chad arched a brow, “you’re sure? I’m sure I can lend a helping hand.”

“Gross,” Clarke muttered.

“Bye, Chad.” Anya rolled her eyes. “Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me until this evening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to write a badass Anya chapter... Where everyone is scared of her and then Clarke pops up and she goes to mush in an instant.
> 
> Anyone have a prompt for that? Please? lol...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya has a reunion with some of the players from her university rugby team. They share a few quick stories about Anya and her legends. Then one of them proposes something Anya is very much not thrilled about.
> 
> It's okay though. Clarke saves her!

It had been 3 years since Anya’s graduation from university. She could hardly believe it! In high school, she’d never really given much thought about going to college. It was just sort of assumed that she would. She had decent enough grades, a small state college was where she figured she’d end up.

Instead, the University of Polis offered her a full ride. Anya knew she was a good player but to be recruited as a fly half by one of the best programs in the country?

She’d had no idea she was that good.

In fact, it took Lexa and Luna a week and a half to convince her to call the coach back! She’d thought it was a prank!

Still. She accepted the scholarship.

And she excelled!

At one point she’d been considered for the National Team.

Then came a cheap shot in the National Championship game her senior year. Ontari Black had come out of nowhere and, with an assist from her big sister Nia, taken Anya down. One had gone high, the other lower. Anya did a complete flip in the air.

Somehow, she managed to finish the game. She only found out later that she had broken her leg. And her arm.

Her mother had not been happy with her when she reached Anya’s hospital room.

But Anya’s team had won!

They were National Champions 3 years running. Mostly thanks to Anya, according to her teammates. Anya liked to share the credit.

One night, Anya’s phone buzzed to life at 7:30. She was with Clarke, Raven, and Luna so she wasn’t really sure who it could be. When she checked the ID and saw Tris’ name she grinned. She hadn’t spoken to her replacement in a year or two.

She answered the phone gleefully, eager for an update.

Anya followed the program’s success. She’d helped cement it as  _ the _ powerhouse of women’s rugby after all. So when Tris called and mentioned a reunion for all of Anya’s old championship friends, Anya jumped at the chance.

That was how Anya found herself in a sports surrounded by a couple dozen former, and current, collegiate rugby players.

It was a surreal feeling. She felt both very in her element and very uneasy.

The younger players looked to her for advice and stories about her old games, more than a few of them considered classics. Her old teammates enjoyed watching her brush off the advances of both men and women.

She nursed a beer and glanced at the clock again.

7:23.

Clarke would be getting off work in 7 minutes. And then she was joining Anya at the bar for a few drinks and some dinner. Anya hoped her teammates behaved.

“Anya?” A young player spoke softly to her right.

Taking a sip, Anya glanced over. She was tall and lithe, built much like Anya was. Her name was Reese. She was the freshman who was meant to take up the mantle of fly half after Tris graduated.

“Can I ask why you never went to play for the NT?” Reese asked, her voice barely audible over the noise surrounding them.

She considered not answering. Then she shrugged, “I had my reasons. None of which had to do with the NT program.”

“Well then why – ”

“Anya just thought she had better things to do,” Tris swooped in and wrapped an arm around Anya’s shoulders, jostling her enough to spill her beer. “Saving lives and all that.”

Rolling her eyes, Anya shook her head. “That wasn’t it at all.”

“Did I ever tell you about the time Anya saw some random guy steal someone’s purse?” Tris asked, her eyes glowing with humor. She knew Anya hated these stories.

“No!” Reese gasped. “What’d you do?”

“Nothing,” Anya shrugged.

Snorting and rolling her eyes, Tris waved a hand at her. “Sure, sure. Nothing. She just chased the guy down. 9 blocks in NYC in the dead of winter! Tackled him into a pile of snow and held him until the police arrived. She came back to give the old lady her purse back and just shrugged of all the thanks she was being given.”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Anya said.

“Seriously?” Reese asked, grinning up at her.

“Tell her who the old lady was,” Tris elbowed Anya in the side. “Tell her.”

Swatting at the younger woman, Anya growled. “No.”

“It was the governor’s mother!” Tris said quickly, dodging another slap to the shoulder. She ducked behind another former teammate, Stacey. “Tell her what happened next!”

“Will you stop?” Anya hissed.

“The governor invited Anya to some fancy event. Black tie.” Stacey wiggled her brows at Anya. “And how did Anya thank him for his invitation?”

Reese’s eyes danced between Anya and Stacey. “How?”

“She slept with his daughter!” Tris crowed gleefully.

“You what?” Reese gasped.

Anya took a long sip of beer. Then another. Then she shrugged, “I didn’t know she was his daughter. She never said.”

“What about that time we were all hiking and those dudes bet Anya she couldn’t free climb that cliff?” Julie, another old teammate, joined in.

“They were wrong,” Anya smirked.

“Or when she got locked out of her room at Nationals and had to climb up from the balcony below hers to get into her room before Coach came to check on her?” Stacey added.

Mina, another freshman, popped up beside Reese. “Why is that a big deal? We stay in hotels all the time. And sneak out all the time.”

“My room was on the 16 th floor,” Anya’s scowl of irritation was shifting into a smirk. “The girl I’d been with and the adrenaline rush from the climb were so worth nearly getting caught.”

“You were nearly caught?” Reese questioned.

“Coach came in just as I came in from the balcony. I told her I was doing pull ups.” Anya shrugged.

Reese blanched at that, “Off the edge of the balcony?”

“Coach never asked, so Anya never specified,” Tris giggled.

“There was the time that Anya was caught with those twins,” Julie said. She ducked the swat from Anya.

“Because you turned me in!” Anya insisted.

“I wanted to go to bed!” Julie shot back.

Mina and Reese were staring up at Anya with their jaws on the floor. They’d heard about and seen Anya’s moves on the pitch. They’d had no idea she was just as legendary off the field.

“Can we not talk about this?” Anya asked.

“Want to talk about your on field antics?” Tris asked, her grin telling the others she knew Anya didn’t want to talk about herself anymore period.

Stacey was rubbing her hands together, “Like that time you did that front flip over those two Mount Weather defenders to score?”

“I don’t like talking about flips,” Anya grimaced playfully.

Suddenly, there was a loud whistle. Heads turned toward the bar. Quinn Yardell, another former teammate of Anya’s, was standing on the bar. She was grinning.

“That’s never good,” Tris whispered, her eyes going wide.

“Polis Warriors! Listen up!” Quinn shouted, even if the room was nearly silent. When all eyes turned to her, she grinned. “Body shots!”

Anya groaned. This never worked out well.

“Anya’s up first!” Tris shouted.

Cheers rose up all around them.

“Anya is not first!” Anya shook her head and took a step back.

“Who wants to open the bidding then?” Quinn yelled. She smirked and glanced around the room. “Who wants to win a chance to have a body shot from the legendary Anya Woods?”

Shaking her head, Anya growled. “I’m not giving anyone a body shot!”

“Oh, really?” Tris asked, her brow quirked. “So you want to be the receiver?”

“No!”

It was too late though. Tris was off and running with that idea.

“How about this! Who wants to give one to Anya?”

Suddenly, there were hands flying all over the place. Some were holding money. Others were holding up credit cards.

And that’s how Anya found herself hauled up on stage to stand next to Quinn.

The bidding had reached $225 when a new voice rose over the other shouts.

“There will be no body shots involving me!” Anya shouted as she glared down at the crowd of rugby players.

“That’s a pity,” A new voice yelled back. “I was about to bit $400!”

As soon as the voice reached her ear, Anya didn’t know if she was really hearing the voice or if it was wishful thinking.

She craned her neck to see around some ceiling decorations.

“Clarke!” She whispered and grinned.

That beer had been stronger than she’d expected.

Almost as one, the players’ heads turned toward the entrance. There, they found an absolutely gorgeous blonde woman. Hardly any of them noticed the wink she sent Anya’s way. None of them saw the sparkle in her eyes as she grinned up at the woman on the bar.

They did, however, noticed the blue button down shirt she was wearing. The sleeves were rolled up over her elbows. About half the women noticed the buttons that hadn’t been done up, and the woman’s cleavage nearly bursting to be free.

“I would pay to see Anya take a shot off her,” Reese whispered.

“Hell yeah!” Tris clapped her on the back and laughed loudly. It was an intriguing thought. “That’s a great idea!”

Stacey nodded in agreement before stepping forward and offering her hand to Clarke. “I’m Stacey. These heathens are current and former members of the University of Polis rugby team. We’re celebrating making it to the championship for the 9 th year in a row.”

“I’m Clarke,” she replied as she accepted the hand. “And I’ve heard plenty of things about rugby players.”

“The good things are mostly true!” Someone shouted from the back of the crowd.

“I can show you how great we can be!” Came another shout.

That had Anya narrowing her eyes and scanning the crowd. Beer or no beer, she didn’t like people hitting on Clarke.

She didn’t need to worry. Clarke was barely managing to keep herself from rolling her eyes.

“I’d rather hear more about this body shot?”

“No body shot,” Anya replied quickly. No way did she want Clarke taking off any of her clothing. Not until they were alone anyway.

Of course, she knew Clarke was only teasing her. The rugby players though, they didn’t know who Clarke was. They had to think she was just some random sexy woman entertaining the thought of a body shot from an equally random sexy stranger.

Anya didn’t like it.

“But what if I want a body shot?” Clarke asked. She pouted her lips playfully.

“No,” Anya said and shook her head quickly for good measure. She tried to sound like the stoic leader Tris and Stacey and the others knew. She didn’t quite manage.

Clarke took a small step forward. Then another. Her hands lifted to the buttons on her shirt. “Are you sure?”

“If Anya isn’t interested, I sure as hell am,” Tris volunteered. She stepped forward, blocking Clarke’s line of vision to Anya.

“Thanks,” Clarke replied as she craned her neck to see her girlfriend up on the bar. “I think you’re a little young for me though.”

That had Anya snorting out a laugh. “You’re barely a year older than her.”

“So you’re 4 years older than her?” Clarke asked. “You’re older than me. Am I too young for you?”

“Never!” Anya shook her head.

Clarke stepped around Tris and wiggled a finger, beckoning Anya to come to her. “Then come over here and prove it.”

Before the other rugby players could even turn back for Anya’s response to the teasing, she was jumping down from the bar. She barely stumbled, a proud feat given how much beer she’d had.

“No body shots, Clarke,” Anya muttered as soon as she was close enough.

“No? Not even one?” She laughed and reached up to cup Anya’s face.

In the back of her mind, Anya wanted to object to the public display of affection. She had a reputation to uphold amongst the UP Rugby program.

But this was Clarke.

She couldn’t say no to Clarke.

So when Clarke applied just a bit of pressure, telling Anya without words that she wanted a kiss, Anya bent down and gave her a sweet kiss. When Clarke hummed and smiled against her lips, Anya kissed her again. Mostly because she could.

“What the hell?” Tris’ voice burst their little bubble.

“Yeah,” Stacey huffed. She’d already set her sights on Clarke. She didn’t like having to step aside for someone else.

“Do you know each other?” Tris asked.

Anya gave Clarke one last sweet kiss. Then she turned and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling Clarke into her side. She grinned like a kid on Christmas who just opened the best present ever. Then she nodded.

“This is Clarke.”

“We know that,” Stacey replied.

Anya felt Clarke shift her weight and lean into her a little more. “Clarke is my girlfriend.”

“Wait,” Tris pointed from one to the other. Then she laughed. “Anya Woods has an actual girlfriend? No more wild one night stands? No more twins?”

“Twins?” Clarke repeated as she quirked a brow and lifted her head to look at Anya.

She was blushing. Anya knew that. She only shook her head. “We’ll talk about that later.”

“Anya,” Clarke poked her in the side. “Have you been hiding your exploits from me? Do these woman have  _ stories _ about you?”

“No,” Anya hurried to reassure her.

“Yes.”

Stacey and Tris, and a few others of the women near them all answered at the same time.

“Were you a player?” Clarke gasped.

“No!” Anya said again.

“Yes.” Tris and Stacey and the others said.

Clarke was laughing. She’d had to work a weird shift that day. Then she had to run to Anya’s apartment to change. She knew Anya was meeting up with old teammates at the bar, Anya had invited her to join them. When she walked in, she knew right away Anya had already had a few.

She had not been expecting to hear stories about Anya’s college exploits.

“Tell me!” Clarke demanded as she turned to Tris.

“Well,” Tris grinned. “There was this one time – ”

Anya’s hands moved to cover Clarke’s ears. “Do not tell her a thing!”

“Aw,” Stacey chuckled. “Anya’s in love! She doesn't want her precious girlfriend knowing about her exploits!”

There was that blush again. As much as Anya wanted to deny her friend’s words, she couldn’t. So she smiled and nodded.

“Yes. I am. And I'll tell her about my... adventures when I'm ready!” She lowered her hands and kissed Clarke’s forehead. “Now don’t ruin it.”

“I love you too,” Clarke said softly, leaning into her again.

“Yeah?” Anya asked, grinning like a fool.

Clarke nodded and winked, “How about you take me home and I show you how much?”

Anya winked right back. She swooped in for a deep kiss, dipping Clarke and everything. She had to fight a smile when Clarke’s hands dove into her hair. It was harder to fight the smile when her teammates started cheering.

When she righted her girlfriend, she was smiling from ear to ear.

“Hey, Clarke?” She said, a little louder than her usual speaking voice.

“Yeah, Ahn?”

“Can we do that body shot when we get home?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the next chapter or two are going to be very Clanya heavy. It seems like they haven't had much interaction the last couple of chapters.
> 
> If you've got a prompt or even just a quick something you'd like to see, let me know!! (I have had a suggestion for having Clarke and Clostia in leather jackets. That is definitely something I can do!!)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya and Clarke have quiet night at home and an important step is taken. 
> 
> The next day, an emergency occurs...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: at the end of the chapter, someone is shot. No one dies. I just wanted you to know!!

“Is it bad if I say this is so much better than our six month anniversary?” Clarke asked.

They were on the couch in Anya’s apartment, snuggled together under a blanket and wrapped around each other. Clarke’s head was on Anya’s chest, nuzzled the skin exposed by Anya’s tank top. Her hands were flat under Anya’s back, holding her close.

Anya’s response was a hum. Then a kiss to the top of her head and arms tightening around her.

These nights were Clarke’s favorites.

Not that she didn’t like to wine and dine Anya. She loved spoiling her! It was just so nice to simply be together. They’d both been busy in recent weeks. Anya had won a huge case, gaining prestige for herself and the firm. But that meant higher profile cases. And Clarke, she’d officially been hired to the Arkadia Police Department. As a rookie, she didn’t really have top choices on shifts.

So when their anniversary approached, both women made sure they were free. Nothing was going to stop them from celebrating their love!

“Seriously, Ahn,” Clarke pulled in a slow and deep breath, relaxing completely into her girlfriend as she let it out. “I’m so happy right now. I never need to leave this couch again!”

“Never?” Anya repeated. She pressed her lips to Clarke’s hair again, smiling into the blonde locks. “What about work? Or your mom? Or Raven.”

Clarke shrugged and giggled. “I don’t need to work. I have money from Dad. And my grandparents.”

“Spoiled little rich girl,” Anya teased and pinched her side lightly.

“At least I admit it!” Clarke said, swatted at Anya’s hand when she tried to pinch again. She lifted her head and met Anya’s eye. “And as for Mom and Rae? If they love me as much as they claim they do, they’d come and see me.”

A small dip of her head and Anya was able to catch Clarke’s lips in a soft kiss. She’d forever deny the sigh that escaped her as soon as their lips touched. Anya Woods didn’t sigh because of a kiss.  
Except this was Clarke. And Anya sighed a lot because of Clarke.

“I love you,” Anya whispered, her forehead leaning against Clarke’s.

Clarke grinned, “I love you too.”

They settled into their former positions then, turning their attention back to the television. They’d put on a movie nearly an hour ago. It was meant to be a fantastic movie, had rave reviews. 

Anya couldn’t even remember the name. Clarke couldn’t tell you who the characters were.

They’d watch for a minute or two before one of them would start talking. Or start leaving teasing kisses on whatever skin their lips could find.

Not that either one of them would complain.

By the time the movie finally ended, Clarke was naked except for her panties, straddling a topless Anya.

“Bed,” Clarke whispered against Anya’s neck before nipping gently at her pulse point.

“Couch,” Anya replied, her hands diving into blonde hair, holding her girlfriend’s lips and teeth and tongue against her.

A whimper escaped Clarke’s throat.  
She had plans for Anya. Big anniversary plans.

And those plans started with a special gift hidden in the bedroom.

“Nope,” Clarke shook her head and sat up.

It was hard, pulling away from a writhing Anya like that.

But… plans!

She nearly jumped off her girlfriend when she reached for her hips. She knew, without a doubt, if she felt Anya’s hands on her, they’d spend the rest of the night on the couch. And that couldn’t happen.

Her plans required room.

So she ran for the bedroom with a giggle.  
It took Anya less than a minute to follow her.

“I have another gift for you,” Clarke said shyly. She stepped into Anya’s bathroom and grabbed the box she’d hidden there. She handed it to Anya and waited patiently while she opened it. “Well… actually, I think I’d say this is for us.”

“You went to the adult store without me?” Anya asked, her voice quiet as she stared into the box. “I don’t know if I’m disappointed I didn’t get to go or super turned on by this gift.”

Clarke winked when she looked up. “Can’t it be both?”

Anya nodded. She reached into the box and handed the object inside to Clarke.

“I trust you know what you’re doing with this?”

“Told you you’re a bottom,” Clarke laughed and nodded.

****

At 3:14 in the morning, Anya sat upright in bed, breathing heavily. One would think she’d just woken up from a bad dream.

That wasn’t the case at all.

She’d had a surprise planned for Clarke. A gift to give her and a question to ask her.

Fumbling in the dark, Anya managed to find a t-shirt and shorts to slip into. Then she hurried to her closet, making sure to close the door behind her before turning on the light to grab the gift.

“Ahn?” Clarke called out just as she reached for the light switch.

“I’m right here, baby!” Anya responded quickly. “I just needed to grab something.”

She slipped the gift into her pocket and hurried back to bed, not even bothering to turn off the light.

“You’re dressed?” Clarke pouted up at her from the bed.

Anya laughed, leaning over her to press her lips to Clarke’s. “I’m sorry. I needed to find something for you and I didn’t want to catch a chill.”

“For me?” Clarke sat up, not even noticing the blankets falling away from her chest.

Anya noticed. It was all she could see.

“Eyes up here,” Clarke swatted at her stomach.

“Sorry!” Anya laughed and dodged another swat. To avoid another, she sat on the bed and kissed her again. “I love you.”

Clarke hummed. Her smile was dreamy as she blinked her eyes open again. “Well played.”

“I’ve been thinking. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Anya fiddled with the small present. She shook her head when she saw Clarke frowning. “It isn’t anything bad. It’s just… you said something to Raven about moving out of Abby’s place now that you’re officially on the force. And I know you were hoping to move back in with Raven but with her and Luna together now…”

“I don’t have a roommate lined up yet. I was hoping to live with Raven for a bit while I looked for a place. I’ll just do it from Mom’s, I guess.”

Anya nodded, that would make sense. Still… “What if you didn’t have to?”

“And where would I live? With you?” Clarke laughed and leaned in for a kiss. When one didn’t come, she cracked one eye. “Anya?”

Instead of answering, Anya held up the present for Clarke to see. She took it slowly, confusion spreading across her face.

Once it was unwrapped and open, Clarke saw she was holding a key.

“What’s this for?”

“A townhouse I just bought. Over on Fox Lane.”

“Fox Lane?”

Anya nodded. She picked up the key and turned it over in her hand, again and again. “It’s about half way between the firm and the precinct. It’s… not small. I’ve got an office and there’s a library! 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms.”

“How could you afford a place on Fox Lane?” Clarke asked.

“That case I won? The one that had me all sorts of messed up?” Anya’s eyes lifted to meet Clarke’s. “It brought a very large settlement to the firm. Like well into 9 figures, large. And I got a percentage of that. This place came on the market at a steal and I had the money. So I bought it.”

Clarke’s confusion started to shift then. Her frown of concern shifted into a smile, her eyes filled with pride. “This is so amazing, Ahn! I’m so proud!”

Anya grinned when Clarke threw her arms around her neck. She hugged back, burying her nose in the crook of her girlfriend’s neck. Then, when she realized Clarke was still talking about how amazing the house would be for Anya, she sat back and met her eyes. 

And still Clarke continued! So much closer to work! And with an office!  
Anya leaned in again and caught Clarke’s lips with her own. She chuckled when Clarke still continued to talk for a few seconds before settling into the kiss. Once she was sure Clarke had finished, Anya sat up again. But not before giving Clarke’s bottom lip a small nip.

“I bought it for my future. It’s the kind of home I want to live in for the rest of my life. There’s a few terraces and a yard big enough for a dog.” Anya started talking about the house again. As soon as she did though, Clarke started too. So Anya lifted a finger to Clarke’s lips and shook her head. “What I’m trying to tell you is that I’d love for you to move in with me.”

“Move in with you?” Clarke’s echo was a little garbled thanks to Anya’s finger but the idea was there.

“You can say no. I’ll understand if you do. I won’t be mad, just a little disappointed,” Anya rushed to assure her. “Saying no doesn’t mean we’re going to break up. It just means you aren’t ready for that step.”

Clarke was shaking her head. Anya’s heart sank in her chest. She hadn’t expected a rejection. Every time one of them had asked about the next step, the other was right there. Anya really thought they’d reached the point of moving in together.

“You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” Clarke whispered. Her hand’s sank into Anya’s hair and pulled until their foreheads were pressed together. “I love you and yes, I want to live with you.”

“Yes?” Anya repeated.

“Of course,” Clarke smiled and nodded. She reached out and plucked the key from Anya’s fingers. “When can we move in? Do we have time to redecorate if we want to?”

Anya was nodding and grinning from ear to ear. “We have time to redecorate. My lease here doesn’t run out for another month or two. So we can paint and do all that. We’ll go tonight when you’re off work to take a look!”

****

They managed to catch a few hours of sleep before their alarms jarred them awake. A quick breakfast and a not so quick make-out session against the door, and then they were off to work. Both had ideas of their new home floating in their heads.

Hours later, Anya was in a meeting. It was 3:56 in the afternoon, she’d been in that conference room for 4 hours. She’d been fine for the first couple of hours but ever since around 2:15, she’d been getting agitated. She chalked it up to being trapped with Chad and their client, Mrs. Ting, and some blowhards from a construction company she was suing for negligence.

There wasn’t much Anya hated more than lawyers defending willful ignorance. She was itching to pace, to rant, and to get this case settled. It was a clear case of negligence. Mrs. Ting’s husband was currently in a coma because the company had ignored state safety regulations.

Everything was caught on camera, Mr. Ting had made sure of that. He’d been about to go to the safety commissioner when he’d had an ‘accident’ at work.  
Just as Anya was about to out the blowhards in their place, a frantic series of knocks sounded at the door. A face peeked through the window.

Excusing herself, Anya moved toward the door to tell her assistant, Donna, to make sure they weren’t disturbed. They all wanted this case finished before the end of the work day.

“I thought I told you not to – ”

“I know, Ms. Woods,” Donna interrupted her quickly. She swallowed thickly and cleared her throat. “It’s just that a Dr. Griffin kept calling no matter how many times I told her you were busy. So I asked her to leave a message other than ‘call me back’ and she said that… um…”

Somehow, Anya knew whatever Donna was about to say wasn’t going to be good. She could feel it in her bones.

“How long has Dr. Griffin been calling?”

“Almost 2 hours. Since about 2:30 or so.” Donna’s eyes dropped to the floor.

“And what did she say?”

Donna cleared her throat again, “She didn’t say much. Just that you needed to know Clarke was hurt on the job.”

That was all Anya needed to hear. She felt dread settled in her stomach and panic drowning her lungs. She blinked back the tears before they could overwhelm.

“Anya?” Lexa’s voice drifted down the hallway. “What’s going on?”

“Get your dad,” Anya snapped before she turned and marched to her office.

She grabbed her phone, noting the 37 missed calls from Abby, Raven, Luna, Octavia, and, strangely enough, Costia. Then she grabbed her jacket and thrust her arms in the sleeves. It took her several attempts before Donna helped her, she’d been trying to put it on inside out.

“Anya?” Gustus appeared in front of her. His large hands holding her shoulders. “What’s going on? I thought you were in a meeting for the Ting case?”

“Have Chad handle it. Or have him make excuses and set another meeting up. I have to go,” Anya said quietly. She couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t let him see her eyes.

“What’s going on?” Lexa asked, worming her way between her dad and her cousin.

A sob broke through Anya’s normally iron strong defenses. She sniffled shook her head, pulling in deep breaths. “I have to go. I have to get to the hospital.”

“Are you okay?” Lexa asked, grabbing Anya’s purse. When Anya only shook her head, Lexa sent Donna to gather her things from her office. “What’s happened?”

Anya’s eyes finally lifted to meet her cousin’s. “Clarke’s been hurt. Abby called Donna. It’s been nearly 2 hours. I have to go.”

“I’m going with you,” Lexa said. “Costia is working with Abby as a resident. She’ll be able to answer our questions.”

****

An old buddy of Anya’s gave her and Lexa an escort to the hospital. It was the first time Anya missed having lights and sirens in her car.

They burst into the ER, asking a million questions. The nurse was reluctant to give any answers at first. Even when Abby’s name was dropped, the woman hesitated.

“Her daughter was brought in as a patient. Dr. Griffin is busy,” the nurse said.

“I know that!” Anya all but roared. “Her daughter is my girlfriend! Now fucking tell me where she is!”

That got the attention of a resident who recognized Lexa. He paged Costia who arrived within minutes. She led the Woods women to the waiting room where Raven, Luna, Octavia, Lincoln, and Abby were sitting surrounded by police officers.

Anya hurried to Abby, sinking to her knees in front of her chair. “What’s happened? Is she okay?”

“She’s in surgery,” Raven answered from Abby’s left. She was fighting tears, Anya could see that as soon as she looked her way. “She was… she was…”

“Shot,” one of the officer’s stepped forward. He laid his hand on Anya’s shoulder and shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Woods. We were chasing down the perp and he turned and fired on us. She jumped in front of me. The son-of-a-bitch had armor piercing rounds.”

“Where?” Anya whispered, her eyes back on Abby.

“The stomach. Or her side,” Octavia answered this time. “They weren’t sure when they took her in. We’ve heard both.”

Abby blinked down at Anya. She hadn’t spoken in hours, except to Donna. She cupped Anya’s face and smiled weakly. “Clarke is strong. She’ll be fine.”

“But a stomach wound,” Anya shook her head.

“Would be an annoyance but she’ll be fine.” Abby said again. “She has to be fine.”

****

It took another hour or two before Dr. Jaha came to report Clarke’s condition. He seemed amazed by the crowd waiting for her.

“She was shot in the right side. It missed all her major organs. And her arteries. It was… she was very lucky. That caliber bullet could have done a lot of damage if – ”

“Can I see her?” Anya asked. She didn’t need to hear how it could have been worse. She needed to see Clarke. Now.  
Jaha had a nurse take Anya to Clarke’s room. Abby had pulled strings to allow Anya to stay for the night. The others would have to wait until morning to see their friend.

Anya hurried behind the nurse, eager to see Clarke with her own eyes. To know she was alive and breathing. She needed to see her.

The nurse opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Anya to enter.

Anya fought the gasp. Clarke looked pale and small in that bed. Anya hated it. She hated that Clarke had been hurt. They knew the dangers of the job, of course they did. But still. Anya hated seeing her there like that.

She pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down, pulling ne of Clarke’s icy hands into her own. She leaned forward until her head was resting on Clarke’s arms.

And then she waited.

At some point, she drifted off to sleep.  
She dreamt of their future in the townhouse. Of dogs and cats and maybe kids. Of holidays and anniversaries. She dreamt of it all.

Then she was awakened by a hand stroking her hair. She sat upright, her eyes opened to find Clarke watching her.

“Hey, you,” Clarke slurred. “I missed you.”

“Clarke, baby,” Anya stood up and kissed her forehead. Then her nose. And then her lips. “I was so scared. So worried!”

Clarke nodded, “I know! I knew you were gonna be so sad!”

“Don’t get shot anymore,” Anya said, leaning her forehead again Clarke’s and bringing a hand up to hold the back of her head. “I can’t do this again. Not knowing. And waiting. You got so lucky today!”

“Should have been a doctor. Save people that way,” Clarke said with a nod. “Or an artist. Save people with art.”

“You can do whatever you want, love. Whatever you want.” Anya kissed her again. “Just no more bullets passing through you!”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you've enjoyed!!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop me a line here or on [Tumblr](https://imaginaryhistorianme.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and questions are encouraged! And encouraging!


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